Here in the United States, a woman suffers a heart attack every 90 seconds. There are many factors that increase your risk of getting heart disease, but one study highlights the potentially dangerous impact of protein on older women.
Heart disease in women is unfortunately happening too often. Researchers examined daily protein intake of over 100,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79. Those who ate a high-protein diet had a significantly higher rate of heart failure – it was almost double.
Researchers found postmenopausal women whose protein sources came mainly from vegetables seemed to be at a lower risk for heart failure. This could be because animal protein has the potential to turn into toxic molecules which can affect how the heart functions. But more research is needed because those who eat a lot of vegetable protein could have a healthier lifestyle overall.
Prevention is key to avoiding or lowering your risk for heart disease.
Partha’s RX:
1. Make sure to eat a variety of protein – don’t focus just on meats. Include seafood, eggs, beans, peas, soy products, along with nuts and seeds.
2. Eat the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein which is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So if you weigh 130 pounds, you can eat roughly 48 grams of protein per day.
3. Chose protein foods that are lower in solid fats. Avoid saturated or trans fat. This can help prevent high blood cholesterol.
4. Eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, and be sure to exercise regularly. These are all part of a healthy lifestyle and can help reduce your risk of heart disease.
Your risk does increase as you get older, but women of all ages should take heart disease very seriously. Two-thirds of women who die of heart disease have no previous symptoms. Be sure you know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers. And get checked for diabetes because if it’s uncontrolled, your chance of heart disease increases.
