Post-menopausal women with a regular intake of plant-based protein have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), all-cause mortality and dementia-related mortality, according to a new study by the American Heart Association. The study also found that directly replacing animal protein with plant-based protein also brings same improvements.
The authors studied data related to over 1,00,000 postmenopausal women who enrolled in the survey between 1993 and 2017. Of these, more than 25,000 participants died during the course of the study, including about 7,000 who died from CVD, 7,500 who died from cancer and more than 2,500 who died from dementia.
The study found that women who consumed high amounts of plant-based protein had a 9% lower risk of all-cause mortality, a 12% lower risk of CVD and a 21% lower risk of dementia-related mortality, compared to women who consumed lesser amounts of plant-based protein. It was also found that eating large amounts of unprocessed meat, eggs or dairy products were all separately associated with higher risks of CVD mortality. Eating too many eggs was also linked to a 10% higher risk of cancer-related mortality and a 14% lower risk of dementia-related mortality.
The study threw light on the fact that completely replacing red meat, eggs or dairy products with nuts was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality.
