Eating foods rich in amino acids could be as good for your heart as stopping
smoking or getting more exercise -- according to new research from the
University of East Anglia (UEA).
A new study published today reveals that people who eat high levels of certain
amino acids found in meat and plant-based protein have lower blood pressure
and arterial stiffness.
And the magnitude of the association is similar to those previously reported for
lifestyle risk factors including salt intake, physical activity, alcohol consumption
and smoking.
Researchers investigated the effect of seven amino acids on cardiovascular
health among almost 2,000 women with a healthy BMI. Data came from
TwinsUK -- the biggest UK adult twin registry of 12,000 twins which is used to
study the genetic and environmental causes of age related disease.
They studied their diet and compared it to clinical measures of blood pressure
and blood vessel thickness and stiffness.
They found strong evidence that those who consumed the highest amounts of
amino acids had lower measures of blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
But they found that the food source was important -- with a higher intake of
amino acids from plant-based sources associated with lower blood pressure,
and a higher intake from animal sources associated with lower levels of arterial
stiffness.
Lead researcher Dr Amy Jennings, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said:
"This research shows a protective effect of several amino acids on
cardiovascular health.
"Increasing intake from protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, dairy produce,
beans, lentils, broccoli and spinach could be an important and readily
achievable way to reduce people's risk of cardiovascular disease.
"Results from previous studies have provided evidence that increased dietary
protein may be associated with lower blood pressure. We wanted to know
whether protein from animal sources or plant-based sources was more
beneficial -- so we drilled down and looked at the different amino acids found
in both meat and vegetables.
"We studied seven amino acids -- arginine, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine,
histidine, leucine, and tyrosine. Glutamic acid, leucine, and tyrosine are found
in animal sources, and a higher intake was associated with lower levels of
arterial stiffness.
"All seven amino acids, and particularly those from plant-based sources, were
associated with lower blood pressure.
"The really surprising thing that we found is that amino acid intake has as
much of an effect on blood pressure as established lifestyle risk factors such
as salt intake, physical activity and alcohol consumption. For arterial stiffness,
the association was similar to the magnitude of change previously associated
with not smoking.
"High blood pressure is one of the most potent risk factors for developing
cardiovascular disease. A reduction in blood pressure leads to a reduction in
mortality caused by stroke or coronary heart disease -- so changing your diet
to include more meat, fish, dairy produce and pulses could help both prevent
and treat the condition.
"Beneficial daily amounts equate to a 75g portion of steak, a 100g salmon fillet
or a 500ml glass of skimmed milk," she added.
Prof Tim Spector from the department of Twin Research at King's college
London said: "The finding that eating certain meat and plant proteins are
linked to healthier blood pressure is an exciting finding. We need to understand
the mechanism to see if it is direct or via our gut microbes."

source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150827083651.htm

I do not agree with some of the things in this post. High consumption of protein most especially from animal source can be detrimental to the kidneys. Plant-based proteins are very healthy compared to animal-based proteins. Moreover high consumption of beef can increase the bad cholesterol(ldl)-low density lipoprotein in the body which can hamper ones'cardiovascular health. Cold water fish like salmon can be very beneficial to ones ticking machine(heart) due to their high content of omega-3- fatty acids as well as its high protein content. Beans is a very healthy and cheap form of protein. Eggwhite, snails are amongst the rich and healthy source of protein for the heart.