Eating more than 22% protein in your daily diet increases your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Science Editorial, (EFE). Eating more than 22% protein in your daily diet significantly increases your risk of developing atherosclerosis, a buildup of fat and other harmful substances in your arteries that can cause cardiovascular disease, according to the study. today in the journal Nature Metabolism.

Authors from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine had already demonstrated in experiments on mice in 2020 that a diet rich in protein and subsequent increases in the amino acid leucine promoted atherosclerosis and cardiovascular damage, and now they took it a step further by analyzing the effects in humans.

Although protein is an essential nutrient, researchers remind us that nearly a quarter of the population gets more than 22% of all daily calories from protein alone. In fact, high protein diets are becoming a popular method of losing weight in developed countries.

Consequences for people

The researchers conducted two controlled human experiments with graded protein intake in 23 participants of both sexes whose body mass index was classified as overweight.

In the first experiment, 14 participants ate two 500-calorie liquid meals, one with very high protein content and the second with very low protein content.

In the second experiment, 9 participants ate a standard 450-calorie meal with 16 or 25 grams of protein twice.

The authors took blood samples before and after both experiments, 1 and 3 hours after meals, and found that proteins exceeding 25 grams per meal increased levels of the amino acid leucine in the circulation, which may affect monocytes and macrophages (cells that make up compound). immune system).

In a follow-up experiment in mice, the authors used three equivalent diets (high, moderate, and low protein) and found that protein intake exceeding 22% of their dietary energy requirements also increased leucine levels, which activate pathologies in the immune system. systems that lead to atherosclerosis.

Nutritional consequences

“Our study shows that increasing protein intake to improve metabolic health is not a panacea. We can damage our arteries,” said one of the authors, Babak Razani, a professor of cardiology at the University of Pittsburgh.

The authors emphasize that the results of this study are especially relevant in the medical field, since nutritionists often recommend protein-rich foods to patients who need to maintain or gain muscle mass and strength.

“Blindly increasing your protein load can be a mistake, but the key is to consider the overall diet and create a balanced diet that will not inadvertently worsen cardiovascular disease, especially in people at risk for cardiovascular disease and vascular disorders.”

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