Plants & Protein

Anyone who eats an animal-free diet has heard the following words,

“Where do you get your protein?”

I’m not going to answer that now because I have done many times before, here and here and here.

Where is not really the question, because it turns out that protein is in so many foods.

In fact, The Harvard T.H.Chan School of Public Health states,

Get your protein from plants when possible. Eating legumes (beans and peas), nuts, seeds, whole grains and other plant-based sources of protein is a win for your health and the health of the planet.

The better question in my personal opinion would be “where can I get high-quality protein?”

The answer is plants.

Assuming that you want a long and healthy life.

Researchers in Japan studied more than 70,000 adults between the ages of 45 – 74 years old. They collected data from 1995 – 1999 and followed up with the participants in 2016. 45% were men and 55% were women with an average age of 55 years old.

The conclusion?

Plant protein was associated with lower total, cancer-related, and CVD-related mortality.

JAMA

This is not the only study to establish that plant protein is healthier than animal protein.

Successful Ageing Index (SAI) was studied in Greece with 3349 men and women over the age of 50 and found that successful ageing means eating plants.

Their conclusion?

The consumption of a plant-based protein-rich diet seems to be a beneficial nutritional choice that should be promoted and encouraged to older people since it may benefit both individual’s health and prolong successful ageing.

National Institute of Health

One of the most interesting parts of the Greek study is that the participants with the highest plant intake were men.

There is more.

An American Study of 6,381 adults between the ages of 50 – 65 in the U.S. found that high animal protein was associated with a 75% increase in overall mortality risk and four times the risk of cancer and diabetes-related death. The plant-eaters lowered their risk of overall mortality.

These studies along with many others prove that plant protein is better for our health and our longevity.

It isn’t the quantity of protein, because we are all getting more than enough, but the quality that matters.

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla