Time to get your protein from plant-based sources ladies!
A new study from the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) found protein from plant-based sources, such as beans or nuts, goes a long way to reducing your risk of heart disease and dementia.
The JAHA tracked 100,000 post-menopausal women from 1993 until 2017, with more than 25,000 of them dying in that time, to get their results.
Women in the study who got the lion’s share of their protein from other sources, such as meat and dairy, were found to be at greater risk of heart disease and dementia.
Researchers are now trying to pin down why plant-based protein seems to be a better alternative, with two leading schools of thought.
The first theory is that by-products of animal protein affect the brain, heart and blood vessels, while the second theory centres around gut microbiome, or in other words to good gut bacteria.
But no conclusions have been settled on.
The take away here is maybe reach for that bowl of nuts or packet of beans before sizzling up a juicy steak or omelette – the sacrifices we make!
