A new study published in the journal GeroScience has shown that the percentage of protein in your diet may affect your longevity and metabolic health.
Healthy diets in general can improve health and lifespan, but the optimal ratios of macronutrients for ideal health outcomes have not been identified. To explore this question, researchers in Japan fed mice diets with equal numbers of calories but varying amounts of protein. By calorie ratio, groups of mice were fed 5%, 15%, 25%, 35%, and 45% protein for two months. At the end of the two-month study, the researchers measured various metabolic health quantities in the mice to determine which diet had the best outcomes for optimal aging and health.
They observed that low-protein diets led to the development of mild fatty liver and increased lipid levels. Optimal health outcomes were achieved in the mice who ate diets of 25–35% protein. This was true for both young mice and middle-aged mice.
The authors of the study noted that their results are likely to apply in the human population as well. For most people, this means that they should increase their daily protein intake to reach a calorie ratio of 25–35%.
In addition to optimizing metabolic health, a healthy diet can improve heart health and decrease the risk of some cancers. Healthy diets for the heart and for preventing cancer should be focused on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, seafood, and healthy oils. Additionally, healthy diets should avoid or minimize added sugar, alcohol, processed foods, and added salt. The Mediterranean Diet is an example of a diet that has been consistently shown to improve overall health and longevity.
Sources: GeroScience, Science Daily, Cleveland Clinic
