Animal Studies: Scientists Warn Eating Too Much Protein-Rich Animal Meat Linked to Heart Disease

Animal meat and other animal-based foods like eggs, poultry, and fish are rich in protein. It is a macronutrient known for building or repairing muscles and helping in the development of organs and tissues in the body. However, recent animal studies have shown that eating too much meat packed with protein is linked to heart disease. In the past, experts have attributed the impact of eating red meat to heart health.

Now, one of these studies led by researchers in the United States has identified a string of individual units comparable to beads in all proteins, called leucine, poses a threat to a person's heart health. The new research paper shows that consuming excessive amounts of this amino acid from different protein sources may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in humans. The risk is one of the many causes of various heart diseases.

In the US, heart disease is the leading cause of death since 1950, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over the past several decades, health authorities have found that there are many risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Some of these risks include diabetes, unhealthy diet, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and overweight and obesity.

Protein and Heart Disease

As the old saying goes, "Too much of everything is bad," including when it comes to eating certain types of food and the health risks it entails. One applicable case of this concept is the culture of 'high protein intake' which is common in Western societies and is often promoted in public as a means into a healthy lifestyle, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Metabolism on Monday, February 19.

In the paper, researchers from various educational institutions associate protein-rich animal meat to heart disease due to the presence of the amino acid leucine. Co-author Babak Razani, from the University of Pittsburgh, told local US media that the research team became interested in the topic; amid the popularity of high protein diet among clinicians, nutritionists, and the public in the context of weight loss and muscle-building.

Animal Meat and Heart Health

The February 2024 study concluded that amino acids from proteins among mammals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of ischaemic cardiovascular disease. This means that animal meat and heart health are strongly linked, especially if the consumption of either red meat or processed meat is beyond the nutritional needs of an individual. The researchers arrived at their conclusion through clinical studies on male and female participants with high protein intake.

According to the CDC, one human dies every 33 seconds from heart disease in the US, where the cardiovascular ailment is the main cause of fatality for men and women. In 2021, approximately 695,000 people died from heart disease in the country, the US health body says.