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If you talk to any self-proclaimed “health nut” worth their salt, they’ll tell you that red meat is a rare indulgence, if they ever eat it at all.
But it turns out that red meat may actually contain some benefits where we once thought it had disadvantages.
New research from UK's University of East Anglia now shows that eating animal proteins, as well as plant proteins, can improve your heart health.
More specifically, it found that people who eat protein from both sources had better artery health and lower blood pressure than those who ate less protein.
This is because animal protein contains amino acids, which your body needs but can’t make itself. Previous to this study, it was well-acknowledged that dairy, fish, legumes, and whole grains were good sources of this.
But now, this study attempted to pit plant sources against animal sources. They tested it out on 1900 women, and found that those who ate more protein had lower blood pressure.
More specifically though, only the amino acids found in animal proteins were associated with lower levels of arterial stiffness.
This is an important find, since it’s the opposite of what a lot of people associate meat with.
In fact, the improvement in arterial stiffness is so significant that it was equal to the kind of improvement you’d see when you quit smoking.
If you want to get the ideal level of these beneficial amino acids in your diet, you should get the equivalent of 2.5 oz of steak, 3.5 oz of salmon, or 16 oz of milk every day.
Plant proteins can help too, since they’re great for lowering blood pressure. This isn’t an invitation to never eat plants again, just an invitation to add a little bit of meat to your already moderated diet.
