Research
Macro partitioning
High intake of animal protein, particularly red and processed meat, is associated with increased all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality in middle-aged adults, whereas plant protein is protective.
If you are under 65, try replacing some animal proteins (especially red and processed meats) with plant proteins like legumes, nuts, and seeds. This substitution is linked to lower risks of heart disease, cancer, and early death.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Animal protein intake was related to a higher risk of mortality, particularly CVD mortality. In contrast, higher plant protein intake was associated with lower all-cause mortality. The substitution of animal protein from a variety of food sources, particularly processed red meat, with plant protein was associated with a lower risk of mortality...
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort studies (131,342 participants) and meta-analyses.
Source
The impact of dietary protein intake on longevity and metabolic health
Munehiro Kitada et al. · EBioMedicine · 2019
DOI 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.04.005
narrative_reviewCited 167×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- A low-protein/high-carbohydrate (LPHC) diet or specific restriction of methionine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) extends longevity and improves metabolic health in model organisms and middle-aged humans by suppressing mTORC1 and GH/IGF-1 signaling while promoting autophagy and FGF21 production.Good
- In adults over 66 years, high protein intake is associated with reduced all-cause and cancer mortality compared to low protein intake, likely to prevent sarcopenia and frailty.Good
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