7 ms·

I cannot find it right now, but I am quite sure that in last few weeks there was a post on HN with roughly the same statement, but for high protein diet.

MagnumOpus 8y ago
No, the evidence for high protein is the opposite - shortening life by increasing cancer risk: "study cohort aged 50–65 reporting high protein intake had a 75% increase in overall mortality and a 4-fold increase in cancer death risk during the following 18 years" Levine ME, Suarez JA, Brandhorst S, et al.: "Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population" Cell Metab. 2014;19(3):407-417. https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2014-05/high-protein-diets-and-longevity https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2014-05/high-... In my opinion it is likely that the higher mortality is not entirely caused by protein intake itself (although there is some evidence that high-protein enviroments are mutagenic in yeasts), but is due to either the increased cancer risk from processed meat (nitrosamines) and/or red meat intake.
- saiya-jin 8y ago
  Yes that would be extremely helpful. For example I have above-average protein intake (exercise intensively almost every day, weekends spent in the mountains) so have to compensate for this. But for the most part it comes either from plants (broccoli, beans, nuts etc.), diary products, protein powder a bit, and white meat (poultry, fish, shrimps). But also white meat could be an issue - antibiotics, growth hormones, heavy metals in seafood. You can't really eat BIO all the time.
- machinehermit 8y ago
  What I have read you can basically make a trade off with IGF-1. You can live more years by lowering IGF-1 but you are going to feel older with lower IGF-1. I would much rather have a longer period of high IGF-1 than a longer overall total lifespan.
- naasking 8y ago
  From your link, "the subjects consumed 1,823 calories on average per day, of which the majority came from carbohydrates (51%), followed by fat (33%) and protein (16%), with most of it (11%) derived from animal protein. The percent of calorie intake from protein was used to categorize subjects into a high-protein group (20% or more of calories from protein), a moderate-protein group (10–19% of calories from protein), and a low-protein group (less than 10% of calories from protein)." Strange, that doesn't seem like a high protein diet to me. Athletes, particularly resistance trained athletes, regularly consume 30% or more of their calories in protein. Further, from your link, "These associations [of protein -> higher mortality] were either abolished or attenuated if the proteins were plant-derived." So protein itself is not the problem, despite the study's authors repeatedly asserting this.
- cko 8y ago
  The study suggests plant proteins attenuated that effect. Plant proteins tend to also be accompanied by fiber, while animal protein sources do not contain fiber. In other words, aside from plant protein powder supplements (which still contain some fiber) or tofu, I cannot think of any source of plant proteins that are not accompanied by fiber. I wonder if that contributes to lower cancer risk, especially colorectal.

MagnumOpus 8y ago

No, the evidence for high protein is the opposite - shortening life by increasing cancer risk: "study cohort aged 50–65 reporting high protein intake had a 75% increase in overall mortality and a 4-fold increase in cancer death risk during the following 18 years" Levine ME, Suarez JA, Brandhorst S, et al.: "Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population" Cell Metab. 2014;19(3):407-417. https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2014-05/high-protein-diets-and-longevity https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2014-05/high-... In my opinion it is likely that the higher mortality is not entirely caused by protein intake itself (although there is some evidence that high-protein enviroments are mutagenic in yeasts), but is due to either the increased cancer risk from processed meat (nitrosamines) and/or red meat intake.

saiya-jin 8y ago
Yes that would be extremely helpful. For example I have above-average protein intake (exercise intensively almost every day, weekends spent in the mountains) so have to compensate for this. But for the most part it comes either from plants (broccoli, beans, nuts etc.), diary products, protein powder a bit, and white meat (poultry, fish, shrimps). But also white meat could be an issue - antibiotics, growth hormones, heavy metals in seafood. You can't really eat BIO all the time.
machinehermit 8y ago
What I have read you can basically make a trade off with IGF-1. You can live more years by lowering IGF-1 but you are going to feel older with lower IGF-1. I would much rather have a longer period of high IGF-1 than a longer overall total lifespan.
naasking 8y ago
From your link, "the subjects consumed 1,823 calories on average per day, of which the majority came from carbohydrates (51%), followed by fat (33%) and protein (16%), with most of it (11%) derived from animal protein. The percent of calorie intake from protein was used to categorize subjects into a high-protein group (20% or more of calories from protein), a moderate-protein group (10–19% of calories from protein), and a low-protein group (less than 10% of calories from protein)." Strange, that doesn't seem like a high protein diet to me. Athletes, particularly resistance trained athletes, regularly consume 30% or more of their calories in protein. Further, from your link, "These associations [of protein -> higher mortality] were either abolished or attenuated if the proteins were plant-derived." So protein itself is not the problem, despite the study's authors repeatedly asserting this.
cko 8y ago
The study suggests plant proteins attenuated that effect. Plant proteins tend to also be accompanied by fiber, while animal protein sources do not contain fiber. In other words, aside from plant protein powder supplements (which still contain some fiber) or tofu, I cannot think of any source of plant proteins that are not accompanied by fiber. I wonder if that contributes to lower cancer risk, especially colorectal.