As blood flows past the plaque, that force—especially in the context of high blood pressure—puts a lot of stress on it. This situation is a recipe for a heart attack. To understand how high dietary protein might increase plaque complexity, Razani and his colleagues studied the path protein takes after it has been digested—broken down into its original building blocks, called amino acids.

Razani and his team found that excess amino acids from a high-protein diet activate a protein in macrophages called mTOR, which tells the cell to grow rather than go about its housecleaning tasks.

The researchers found that certain amino acids, especially leucine and arginine, were more potent in activating mTOR—and derailing macrophages from their cleanup duties, leading to cell death—than other amino acids. Cell death is the key feature of plaque instability. If you could stop these cells from dying, you might not make the plaque smaller, but you would reduce its instability.

Support for the work came from the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association, the Washington University Diabetic Cardiovascular Disease Center and Diabetes Research Center, the Washington University Mass Spectrometry Core, and the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Source: Washington University in St. Search for:. Science Health Culture Environment. Think every meal should include protein? Actually, most of us are getting far more protein than we actually need — especially when it comes to meat — thanks to a variety of cultural factors.

Many Americans continue to be influenced by struggles of the Great Depression, when protein — especially meat — was unaffordable by many families. And in parts of the world where poverty levels are still high, the ability to enjoy meat with a meal is considered a symbol of affluence. Even as prices for meat have fallen, it continues to be associated with wealth or affluence, leading many families to make it part of every meal, said Judith Wylie-Rosett, a nutritionist and registered dietitian at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in the Bronx, N.

Wylie-Rosett said. And, Dr. Wylie-Rosett says, eating more protein is coming at the expense of other food groups that most Americans struggle to get enough of. The actual recommended daily allowance RDA is a complex calculation that takes into account your age and weight.

Based on weight, growing children and pregnant or lactating women require a little bit more protein than a typical adult man or woman because their bodies are building more muscle. Generally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 10 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories come from protein.

Add a cup of yogurt for another 11 grams. The American Heart Association has a guide outlining suggested servings for each food group. Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisors.

Limit saturated fat. High saturated fat intake is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Saturated fat can be found in:. Temporarily track what you eat. Use a food app to track your intake for a few days , suggests Beal.

Beal advises getting your numbers checked before starting a high-protein diet and following up with your physician after three months. We need it, especially as we age, to maintain muscle mass and prevent malnutrition.

Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online. Close X. All Content Living Real Change Physician's Name News. Back to Living Real Change Sign up to receive the Living Real Change Newsletter.

A recent study in the journal Circulation found that high levels of red meat intake increase the risk of coronary heart disease. You can reduce that risk by shifting to alternative protein sources. Eating more fish and nuts was associated with a significantly lower risk of heart disease.

One serving per day of nuts was associated with a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease than 1 serving per day of red meat. One daily serving of fish was associated with a 24 percent lower risk, and poultry and low fat dairy were associated with a 19 percent and 13 percent lower risk, respectively.

But what specific types of these heart-healthy proteins should you eat, and how much do you need? Fish is one of the top protein picks to help prevent cardiovascular disease. You should eat one 3- to 6-ounce fillet or one 3-ounce can of fish each week. Two of the best types of fish to eat to decrease your risk of heart disease are tuna and salmon.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of several cardiovascular problems. Tuna also contains vitamins B12 and D, niacin , and selenium. Canned or pouched albacore tuna is slightly higher in mercury, so try chunk light tuna instead.

Like tuna, salmon contains omega-3s, as well as phosphorous, potassium, selenium, and vitamins B6, B12, and D. For healthy preparation, try broiling salmon for 10 minutes for each inch of thickness.

The Harvard School of Public Health notes that while a 6-ounce broiled porterhouse steak provides 40 grams of complete protein, it also delivers about 38 grams of fat — 14 of them saturated.

The same amount of salmon provides 34 grams of protein and only 18 grams of fat — only 4 of which are saturated. According to some studies, nuts are one of the healthiest protein choices you can make for your heart. Options include walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, and peanuts.

Legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils are another excellent option. They contain no cholesterol and significantly less fat than meat. The Harvard School of Public Health notes that 1 cup of cooked lentils delivers 18 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of fat. In addition to nuts and beans, natural peanut butter and other nut butters are heart-healthy choices.

You can choose to eat 2—4 tablespoons of natural, unsweetened nut butter per week. Poultry, such as chicken or turkey, is a top low fat protein source. One serving of poultry is associated with a 19 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease than 1 serving of red meat per day.

Take care to choose options that are truly lower in fat. For example, choose skinless chicken breasts over fried chicken patties. Trim away any visible fat and remove the skin when you prepare poultry dishes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC suggests choosing the lower fat versions of the following high fat items:. Although eggs are not technically a dairy product, the CDC also recommends using egg whites or pasteurized egg white products instead of whole eggs with yolks.

An older research review , however, does suggest that 70 percent of people have little to no change in cholesterol levels with whole egg consumption. How do you determine how much of these heart-healthy proteins to eat? Generally, 10—30 percent of your daily calories should come from protein.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance of protein needed each day is as follows:. For example, 1 cup of milk has 8 grams of protein, 6 ounces of salmon has 34 grams of protein, and 1 cup of dried beans has 16 grams of protein. These add up to about the amount of protein that an adult man would need for an entire day.

Consider your protein needs within the context of an overall healthy eating plan. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

VIEW ALL HISTORY. Find out how eating fresh, healthy foods can help lower your cholesterol and keep your heart ticking. Recent research has mostly disproven the notion that eating foods rich in cholesterol and fat may increase your risk of various diseases.

Here are 9…. If you are watching your cholesterol levels, you know that it is important to look at the cholesterol content, as well as saturated and trans fats, in…. A nuclear stress test is safe for most elderly people.

It can be an important tool for diagnosing coronary artery disease. American Heart Association. Accessed July 1, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Perreault L, et al. Obesity in adults: Dietary therapy. Accessed July 5, Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Duyff RL. Protein power.

In: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Moon J, et al. Clinical evidence and mechanisms of high-protein-diet-induced weight loss.

Freire R. Scientific evidence of diets for weight loss: Different macronutrient composition, intermittent fasting, and popular diets. Ko GJ, et al. The effects of high-protein diets on kidney health and longevity. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Products and Services Available Health Products from Mayo Clinic Store A Book: Mayo Clinic on High Blood Pressure A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition The Mayo Clinic Diet Online A Book: Live Younger Longer A Book: The Mayo Clinic Diet Bundle A Book: Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies A Book: Cook Smart, Eat Well Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition A Book: Mayo Clinic on Digestive Health.

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