A high-protein diet can be good for the heart

Newswise — Traditional high-protein diets are heart killers, clogging the arteries with saturated fat from meat, eggs, and cheese. But, according to a report from Harvard Medical School, a large study shows that there is such a thing as a heart-healthy high-protein diet that can lower harmful LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.

The diet described in Healthy Eating: A Guide to the New Nutrition offers a healthful alternative to the old-fashioned Atkins-style diets that ooze artery-clogging saturated fat with every bite. Instead, this eating plan, one of several studied in the OmniHeart trial, includes high-protein foods from both animal and plant sources that are lower in saturated fat. Along with chicken and fish, dietary sources of protein include nuts, beans, whole-grain cereals, and fat-free dairy products.

A high-protein diet doesn’t have to be all steak and eggs, according to Dr. Frank M. Sacks, the editor of the report and Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Harvard Medical School. And not all low-carb diets are the same. The most successful diet plans of any type have certain elements in common, including an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Healthy Eating is a 48-page report that includes a full discussion of the latest scientific developments in the field of nutrition. Diet influences your risk for many diseases and conditions, including heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, eye disease, and some forms of cancer. The report includes information on what foods can help protect you from certain diseases—or make you more prone to them.