In a new study from Penn State, researchers found a plant-based diet may be key to lowering your risk of heart disease.
They determined that diets with reduced sulfur amino acids—which occur in protein-rich foods, such as meats, dairy, nuts, and soy—were associated with a decreased risk for heart disease.
The team also found that the average American consumes almost two and a half times more sulfur amino acids than the estimated average requirement.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. A subcategory, called sulfur amino acids, including methionine and cysteine, play various roles in metabolism and health.
In the study, researchers examined the diets and blood biomarkers of more than 11,000 participants from a national study.
They found that participants who ate foods containing fewer sulfur amino acids tended to have a decreased risk for cardiometabolic disease based on their bloodwork.
The team evaluated data from the Third National Examination and Nutritional Health Survey.
They compiled a composite cardiometabolic disease risk score based on the levels of certain biomarkers in participants’ blood after a 10-16 hour fast including cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin.
These biomarkers are indicative of an individual’s risk for disease, just as high cholesterol levels are a risk factor for heart disease.
After accounting for body weight, the researchers found that average sulfur amino acid intake was almost two and a half times higher than the estimated average requirement.
The team suggested this may be due to trends in the average diet of a person living in the United States.
The researchers found that higher sulfur amino acid intake was associated with a higher composite cardiometabolic risk score.
They also found that high sulfur amino acid intake was linked to every type of food except grains, vegetables, and fruit.
The team says meats and other high-protein foods are generally higher in sulfur amino acid content.
People who eat lots of plant-based products like fruits and vegetables will consume lower amounts of sulfur amino acids.
These results support some of the beneficial health effects observed in those who eat vegan or other plant-based diets.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about this nutrient can protect your heart rate and findings of women have a higher risk of this deadly heart disease at night.
For more information about heart disease and wellness, please see recent studies about the cause of various types of heart disease and results showing that acting quickly after heart attack symptoms start can be a life saver.
The study is published in Lancet EClinical Medicine. One author of the study is John Richie.
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