Eating too much protein is bad for the arteries and promotes atherosclerosis

Two studies published in two journals from the ‘Nature’ group warn of the harmful effects of excess protein consumption and the intake of a type of vitamin B-3, a very common compound in the Western diet, on the risk of heart disease. . . Excess protein in the diet could increase the risk of atherosclerosis. A study published in ‘Nature Metabolism’, which has combined small trials in humans with experiments in mice and cells in the laboratory, shows that consuming more than 22% of dietary calories from proteins can lead to greater activation of the Immune cells that play a role in the formation of atherosclerotic plaque, which drives the disease. Additionally, scientists showed that one amino acid, leucine, appears to play a disproportionate role in driving pathological pathways related to atherosclerosis, or stiff, hardened arteries. Related News standard No In search of youth. What works and what doesn’t to slow aging Patricia Matey The search for eternal youth has taken on a thousand faces in the last two decades. But not everything is science. Experts recommend going to centers with training that have multidisciplinary teams. «Our study shows that increasing protein intake for better metabolic health is not a panacea. “It could be causing real damage to your arteries,” says lead author and co-author Babak Razani, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (USA). The consumption of protein, mainly from animal sources, is common in the Western diet. Experts believe that trend is driven by the popular idea that dietary protein is essential for healthy living. But his group and others have shown that overreliance on protein may not be so good for long-term health. This same group demonstrated in 2020 for the first time that excess protein in the diet increases the risk of atherosclerosis in mice. Now, building on initial experiments in healthy humans to determine the timing of immune cell activation following ingestion of protein-enriched meals, the researchers simulated similar conditions in mice and in human macrophages, immune cells that have been shown to be particularly sensitive to amino acids derived from proteins. Cellular waste Their work showed that consuming more than 22% of daily dietary calories through protein can negatively affect macrophages that are responsible for removing cellular waste, leading to the accumulation of a “graveyard” of those cells within the vessel walls and worsening of atherosclerotic plaques over time. Interestingly, analysis of circulating amino acids showed that leucine (an amino acid enriched in foods of animal origin such as beef, eggs and milk) is primarily responsible for abnormal macrophage activation and the risk of atherosclerosis. suggesting a possible avenue for future research into personalized diet modification or “precision nutrition.” These results are particularly relevant in hospital settings, where nutritionists often recommend protein-rich foods to the sickest patients to preserve muscle mass and strength. In the other research, a team at the Cleveland Clinic presents a new pathway that contributes to cardiovascular disease associated with elevated levels of niacin, a common B vitamin recommended for lowering cholesterol. The findings provide a basis for possible new interventions and therapies to reduce or prevent that inflammation. The team, led by Stanley Hazen, discovered a link between 4PY, a treatment product for excess niacin, and heart disease. Higher circulating levels of 4PY were strongly associated with the development of heart attacks, strokes, and other adverse cardiac events in large-scale clinical studies. Researchers also showed in preclinical studies that 4PY directly triggers vascular inflammation that damages blood vessels and can lead to atherosclerosis over time. The study, published in Nature Medicine, also details the genetic links between 4PY and vascular inflammation. The findings provide a basis for possible new interventions and therapies to reduce or prevent that inflammation. Niacin (vitamin B-3) is very common in the Western diet. “For decades, more than 50 countries have required niacin fortification in staple foods such as flour, cereals and oats to prevent diseases related to nutritional deficiency,” says Stanley Hazen. However, one in four subjects in the researchers’ patient cohorts appeared to be consuming too much and had high levels of 4PY, which appears to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. The new findings could also help explain why niacin is no longer a treatment of choice for lowering cholesterol. Niacin was one of the first treatments prescribed to reduce LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol. However, it was shown to be less effective than other cholesterol-lowering medications and was associated with other negative effects and higher mortality rates in previous research.