Researchers point to vegetarian foods that could cut the risk of heart attack by a quarter

Becoming a vegetarian could really reduce your risk of premature death, if new research is to be believed.

Experts found that people who ate a diet full of plant-based proteins, especially nuts and legumes such as beans and lentils, were more than a quarter less likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD).

In CHD, fatty substances begin to build up in your blood vessels, interrupting blood flow to the organ. This can lead to a potentially fatal heart attack and is considered a leading cause of death in Britain.

The study also found that those who ate plenty of plant-based protein also reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) overall by almost a fifth.

US researchers, who followed more than 200,000 adults over the past 30 years, claimed this was because the high amounts of fiber and antioxidants in plant proteins kept arteries from becoming clogged.

Avoiding red and processed meat could be “much more effective in preventing cardiovascular disease,” the scientists said.

Professor Frank Hu, an expert in nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard University and author of the paper, said: ‘Most of us need to start shifting our diets towards plant-based proteins.

‘We can do this by eating less meat, especially red and processed meat, and eating more legumes and nuts.

Andrea Glenn, assistant professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University, and co-author of the new study, added: ‘The average American eats a ratio of plant to animal protein of 1:3. Our findings suggest that a ratio of at least 1:2 is much more effective in preventing cardiovascular disease.

‘For CHD prevention, a ratio of 1:1.3 or higher should come from plants.’

A ratio of plant to animal protein of 1:3 means the average person ate three times as much meat as food such as nuts and legumes.

The researchers said that for better heart health, this should be reduced to just twice as much meat as plant protein, or ideally a ratio of almost one to one.

In the study, more than 203,000 healthy adults were questioned every four years about their daily diet.

Researchers calculated each participant’s total protein intake, measured in grams per day, as well as their specific animal and plant protein intake.

Over a 30-year follow-up, they found that 16,118 cases of cardiovascular disease, including more than 10,000 cases of coronary heart disease and more than 6,000 cases of stroke, were documented.

Writing in the American Journal of Clinical NutritionAccording to the scientists, participants who consumed the highest levels of animal protein – compared to the lowest – had a 19 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

While some warning signs are easy to spot, such as severe chest pain, others are vaguer and harder to pinpoint

NHS data shows that the number of younger adults suffering a heart attack has risen over the past decade. The largest increase (95 percent) was recorded in the 25-29 age group, although because the number of patients is low, even small peaks can look dramatic

They also had a 27 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease.

These risk reductions were even greater among participants who ate more protein overall.

Those who consumed the most protein — 21 percent of energy came from protein — and adhered to a higher ratio of plant-to-animal protein saw a 28 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

For coronary heart disease this was 36 percent lower.

Replacing red and processed meat in the diet with various plant sources, such as nuts, also showed a lower risk of stroke, the researchers said.

However, they found that the risk reduction for cardiovascular disease begins to plateau around a 1:2 ratio, although the benefits persist especially for coronary heart disease.

It comes as alarming data revealed earlier this year that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, had reached the highest level in more than a decade.

Rates of heart attacks, heart failure and strokes among those under 75 had fallen since the 1960s thanks to plummeting smoking rates, advanced surgical techniques and breakthroughs such as stents and statins.

But rising obesity rates and the associated catalog of associated health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes are now thought to be one of the major contributing factors.

Slow ambulance response times for Category 2 calls in England – including suspected heart attacks and strokes – and long waits for tests and treatment are also responsible for the increase, which is also being felt by younger adults.

Despite claims from anti-vaxxers, cardiologists say fears that Covid vaccines could have fueled a rise in heart problems are far from the truth.