Senior author Frank Hu emphasized the importance of dietary shifts toward plant-based proteins for both human health and environmental benefits.

Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with around 1 in 5 deaths attributed to it in 2022, these findings are particularly significant.

A recent study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, published on December 2, 2024, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, analyzed 30 years of dietary data from nearly 203,000 individuals.

The research drew from the Nurses' Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals' Follow-up Study, with participants reporting their dietary intake every four years.

The findings revealed that higher ratios of plant-based protein consumption were linked to lower risks of CHD and CVD.

The research suggests that replacing red and processed meats with plant proteins likely contributes to these risk reductions.

However, no significant association was found between the plant-to-animal protein ratio and stroke risk, indicating the need for further research.

While higher plant-to-animal protein ratios did not show significant benefits for stroke risk, replacing red and processed meats with plant sources like nuts may help lower stroke risk.

Participants with higher plant-to-animal protein ratios also exhibited lower body mass indices (BMIs) and were less likely to smoke or be inactive.

Experts, including cardiologists John Higgins and Cheng-Han Chen, support the findings and recommend increasing plant protein intake to enhance heart health.

Throughout the study period, 16,118 cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) were documented, including over 10,000 cases of coronary heart disease (CHD) and more than 6,000 stroke cases.

This study is notable as it is the first to investigate the ideal ratio of plant to animal protein for heart health.