Protein from Red Meat, Dairy Tied to Heart Risks
(NY, Reuters Health, 2/9/05)

In a study of more than 29,000 postmenopausal women, Dr. Linda E. Kelemen of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, and team, found that the risk of dying from heart disease over a 15 year period was about 40% greater for women consuming the largest amounts of protein from red meat and dairy products than for those eating the lowest amounts of these foods. Kelemen noted that people should distinguish between proteins, since fish and chicken were not associated with heart disease mortality in the study and vegetable protein sources, like beans and nuts, were linked with decreased mortality. The scientists speculate that animal proteins promote artery-clogging plaques.

(American Journal of Epidemiology, February 1, 2005)