The report, which examined the effects of different sources of protein, showed that exchanging just a small amount of processed red meat for plant protein cut risk of early death by 34%.
Switching between protein
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital found that switching between 15g and 19g of animal protein – the equivalent of a single sausage for nuts, pulses or legumes – significantly cut the risk of early death.
Meanwhile, substituting eggs for plant protein lead to a 19% reduction in death risk.
Higher intake of meat
The research also found a 10% higher intake of meat was associated with a 2% higher mortality rate and an 8% higher chance of cardiovascular death.
The study followed more than 130,000 people for 36 years, monitoring their diet, lifestyle, illness and mortality.