03/11/2025
We often talk about cholesterol and sugar — but forget to discuss the lack of protein and it's effects on Cardiovascular Health.
🧬 Why Protein Is Critically Important for Heart & Metabolic Health⬇️
1️⃣ Protein helps you maintain lean muscle — the real metabolic gold.
Skeletal muscle isn’t just for aesthetics — it’s a metabolically active organ that regulates blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and fat oxidation.
Studies show that adults with low muscle mass (sarcopenia) have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease — even if they aren’t obese.
Higher protein intake, combined with exercise helps preserve this muscle and maintain a healthy resting metabolic rate.
2️⃣ Protein supports fat loss — especially visceral fat reduction.
Visceral fat (the deep belly fat around your organs) is strongly linked to insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and inflammation — key drivers of heart disease.
Diets with adequate protein (1.2–1.6 g/kg body weight/day) have been shown to improve satiety, preserve lean mass, and accelerate visceral fat loss when compared to low-protein diets.
Protein increases the thermic effect of food (your body burns more calories digesting it) and reduces post-meal blood sugar spikes.
3️⃣ Protein intake improves key cardiovascular markers.
In multiple trials, increasing high-quality protein was linked to:
↓ Blood pressure
↓ LDL cholesterol & triglycerides
↑ HDL (“good”) cholesterol
A meta-analysis in Clinical Nutrition (2024) found that whey protein supplementation in overweight adults significantly reduced total and LDL cholesterol.
4️⃣ The type of protein matters — choose smart.
Replacing red or processed meat with plant or fish-based protein improves heart outcomes.
The Harvard Health Professionals Study (30-year data, >200,000 participants) found that people who consumed more plant protein had 19% lower cardiovascular disease risk and 27% lower coronary heart disease risk.
The mechanism? Lower saturated fat, more fibre, antioxidants, and improved lipid metabolism.
5️⃣ Contd in caption ⬇️
