Protein is a necessary a part of our eating regimen and has been linked to a number of well being advantages, together with bettering the pace of muscle restoration after train or harm and serving to preserve a wholesome weight by curbing urge for food. Nonetheless, analysis from the College of Pittsburgh College of Medication means that consuming an excessive amount of protein might trigger cardiovascular injury.
What’s protein?
Protein is a macronutrient contained in sure meals and drinks. It’s made up of chemical compounds known as amino acids, that are damaged down when consumed and digested. The physique then builds all of the totally different proteins it wants from these amino acids.
Are there well being dangers to consuming an excessive amount of protein?
Based on a examine, carried out by researchers on the College of Pittsburgh College of Medication, excessive protein consumption might enhance the chance of growing atherosclerosis by activating immune cells, which contribute to arterial plaque formation. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of fat, ldl cholesterol and different substances in and on the artery partitions. This build-up known as plaque and may trigger arteries to slender and block blood circulate. The plaque also can burst, resulting in a blood clot.
The examine, which mixed small human trials mixed with experiments on mice and cells in a petri dish, confirmed that consuming over 22% of dietary energy from protein might result in elevated activation of immune cells that play a task in atherosclerotic plaque formation.
Moreover, the scientists found that one specific amino acid, leucine, appeared to have a disproportionately excessive impact in driving the pathological pathways linked to atherosclerosis or hardened arteries.
What’s leucine?
Leucine is likely one of the three important branched chain amino acids, together with isoleucine, and valine. These amino acids can be utilized by skeletal muscle to offer vitality throughout train. Consuming meals containing full protein, akin to meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk, offers these amino acids.
“Our examine reveals that dialling up your protein consumption in pursuit of higher metabolic well being isn’t a panacea. You might be doing actual injury to your arteries,” defined Babak Razani, professor of cardiology on the College of Pittsburgh College of Medication. “Our hope is that this analysis begins a dialog about methods of modifying diets in a exact method that may affect physique operate at a molecular stage and dampen illness dangers.”
This examine, titled ‘Identification of a leucine-mediated threshold impact governing macrophage mTOR signalling and cardiovascular threat’ follows a earlier examine by the workforce which first recognized extreme protein consumption as a possible explanation for atherosclerosis. This subsequent examine, performed in collaboration with Dr Bettina Mittendorfer, a metabolism skilled on the College of Missouri, was subsequently designed to delve deeper into the potential threat.
“We now have proven in our mechanistic research that amino acids, that are actually the constructing blocks of the protein, can set off illness by way of particular signalling mechanisms after which additionally alter the metabolism of those cells,” added Dr Mittendorfer. “As an example, small immune cells within the vasculature known as macrophages can set off the event of atherosclerosis.”
The analysis workforce had been cautious to notice that additional analysis on the topic is required as many questions stay unanswered, primarily, what’s the right amount of protein to eat every day with out risking adversarial well being results and what sources of protein are most definitely to set off these adversarial well being results.
What’s atherosclerotic plaque formation?
Atherosclerosis is the thickening or hardening of the arteries throughout the human physique. It’s brought on by a build-up of plaque within the internal lining of an artery. Plaque is made up of deposits of fatty substances, ldl cholesterol, mobile waste merchandise, calcium, and fibrin. Because it builds up within the arteries, the artery partitions grow to be thickened and stiff.
What are the well being advantages of consuming protein?
Protein is not only useful to our well being, it’s a necessary a part of our eating regimen, supporting a mess of features. It’s important for the expansion and restore of physique tissues and is very vital for wholesome muscle mass and bones, notably in kids.
Based on the British Vitamin Basis, “there are millions of totally different proteins within the physique which have an enormous number of roles, in our organs like our mind, coronary heart and liver, the antibodies in our immune system and the haemoglobin that carries oxygen in our blood. Protein is vital for kids’s muscle mass and bones as they’re rising, and likewise to maintain our muscle mass and bones wholesome all through life.” Moreover, British Vitamin Basis states that “protein is comparatively ubiquitous within the meals system so a eating regimen which is poor in protein can also be prone to be poor in different vitamins akin to nutritional vitamins and minerals.”
How a lot protein ought to we eat?
Based on the British Coronary heart Basis, the present really helpful each day consumption of protein is 55 grams per day for males and 45 grams per day for girls. That is based mostly on bodyweights of 75kg for males and 60kg for girls.
Protein could be consumed in numerous varieties, together with meat, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, beans and pulses.
Supply: Identification of a leucine-mediated threshold impact governing macrophage mTOR signalling and cardiovascular threat
Revealed on-line: 19 February 2024
DOI: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-024-00984-2
Authors: Xiangyu Zhang, Divya Kapoor, Se-Jin Jeong et al.
