It is known that the basis of a healthy diet is a variety of quality foods. The classic distribution indicates, in fact, that half the plate should be vegetables, a quarter proteins and a quarter carbohydrates.
A new study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adds additional information regarding the type of protein that provides the most benefits. In this sense, it indicates, diets rich in plant proteins can help women stay healthy as they age.
Led by researchers at Tufts University in Boston, the research found that women who ate more plant-based proteins developed fewer chronic diseases and were generally healthier later in life.
Analyzing self-reported data from more than 48,000 women, researchers observed “markedly” fewer cases of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and deterioration in cognitive and mental health, in those who included more protein in their diets from sources such as fruits, vegetables, bread, legumes and pasta, compared to those who ate less.
"Protein consumption in midlife was related to promoting good health in adulthood," says Andrés Ardisson Korat, a scientist at the USDA Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and lead author of the study.
"We also found that the source of protein is important. Getting most of your protein from plant sources in middle age, plus a small amount of animal protein, appears to promote good health and survival into older ages," holds.
The findings come from the influential Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study, which followed health professionals from 1984 to 2016. The women were between 38 and 59 years old at baseline and were considered to be in good physical and mental health at that time. moment.
Ardisson Korat and his team, including lead author Qi Sun of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, examined thousands of surveys collected every four years on how often people ate certain foods to identify dietary proteins and their effects. about healthy aging.
Women who ate more plant-based proteins - keep in mind that in 1984 this was defined as proteins obtained from bread, vegetables, fruits, pizza, cereals, baked goods, mashed potatoes, nuts, legumes, peanut butter and pasta -, were 46% more likely to be healthy into their later years.
However, those who ate more animal proteins, such as beef, chicken, milk, fish/shellfish and cheese, were 6% less likely to stay healthy as they aged.
"Those who consumed higher amounts of animal protein tended to have more chronic diseases," Ardisson Korat said.
Animal protein was “modestly” related to fewer physical limitations in old age, but plant protein had a stronger and more consistent correlation across all observed models, and was more closely related to good mental health later in life.
Regarding heart disease in particular, higher consumption of plant proteins was accompanied by lower levels of LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and better insulin sensitivity.
Dairy protein alone (mainly milk, cheese, pizza, yogurt, and ice cream) was not significantly associated with better health status in adulthood.
The team recognized that the benefits of plant proteins could derive from plant-based food components, rather than proteins. The thing is that, compared to foods of animal origin, plants contain a higher proportion of dietary fiber, micronutrients and beneficial compounds called polyphenols that are present in plants.
Ardisson Korat also said data from other groups is needed, since the Nurses' Health Study primarily surveyed white women who work in health care.
“The study data tended to be very homogeneous in terms of demographic and socioeconomic composition, so it will be valuable to follow up with a study in cohorts that are more diverse. It is a field that is still evolving,” he stated.
But the team's findings so far support the recommendation that women eat most of their protein in the form of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, although they should also include some fish and other animal proteins for their iron and vitamin content. B12.
"Dietary protein intake, especially plant proteins, in middle age plays an important role in promoting healthy aging and maintaining a positive state of health at older ages," the researcher concluded.
Some foods that contain them are:
