Swapping just 1% of plant protein in place of animal protein was associated with significantly less age-related deficit accumulation.
Based on a study of more than 400,000 people, replacing just 3% of calories of animal protein with plant protein was associated with a 10% reduction in overall mortality risk. That simple swap could translate to about an extra year of life. Egg protein—mostly found in egg whites—appeared to be the biggest offender when it came to mortality risk. Swapping 3% of calories from egg protein for plant protein was associated with more than a 20% reduction in overall mortality—greater than the reduction seen when replacing red meat with plant protein. However, it’s not just about adding years to your life, but life to your years. How do changes in dietary intake of animal versus vegetable protein affect unhealthy aging?
Healthy aging is defined as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.” No one wants to be vegetative, and you may be able to avoid that by eating more vegetables. A higher intake of vegetable protein was associated with less accumulation of deficits, based on functional impairments,
