Et tu, bratwurst?

It seems that every other week a new report is published on what foods are good or bad for you. Often, these reports conflict with earlier research. First coffee is bad, then it is good, and so it goes with other products. It’s enough to drive a food lover crazy. Now the culprits seem to be meat and cheese: a study published March 4 in Cell Metabolism and reported in various outlets including the International Business Times, delivered the bad news that people who consumed a high amount of animal protein were four times as likely to die from cancer as people who ate a low-protein diet. Additional findings noted that people who eat high amounts of meat and cheese are twice as likely to die in general, and several times as likely to die from diabetes, as those with a low-protein diet.

This is not welcome news to meat and cheese lovers, and it also calls into question other research about the beneficial effects of eating more protein, such as this study which found that protein intake was important to combat obesity. For the current study, researchers defined a “high-protein” diet as one that derives 20 percent of calories from protein, (including both plant-based and animal-based protein); a “moderate” protein diet at 10-19 percent protein, and a “low-protein” diet less than 10 percent protein. An interesting finding in the study is that plant-based proteins didn’t seem to have the same effect as animal-based proteins. So maybe it’s time for beans to be “what’s for dinner.”

Instead of merely suggesting a static number for optimal protein intake for all adults, this study looked at how the body’s needs change over time. It found that “while high protein in middle age is detrimental to health, you need more animal proteins after the age of 65.”  As someone who is a diehard cheese and meat lover, this news is quite depressing. But if there is a silver lining in this study, it’s that controlling for carbs and fats didn’t seem to make a difference in mortality. (Hand me that brioche, please.) How will this new study affect your eating habits?

Photo Reiner Kraft via International Business Times