Does Protein Decrease Lifespan?

Just when we’ve accepted that carbohydrates are bad for us and everyone seems to be doing the paleo or ketogenic diets, a new study from an Australian research group created headlines by suggesting that high-protein diets are unhealthy because they decrease longevity.

For years we’ve been told that high-fat diets are bad. Then scientists suggested that it’s carbohydrates that are bad, which led to this keto-everything dietary phase we’re in right now. Now we’re being told that high-protein diets are bad for us as well? What the heck are we supposed to eat? Before we panic, let’s take a look at the research to see if it’s meaningful or not.

Researchers identified an enzyme called eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase (eEF2K) that slows the rate of protein synthesis. By so doing, it reduces the number of mistakes made in making or folding proteins. If a long-chain protein such as insulin has mistakes in the location of amino acids, the protein will not work as it should. When you consider the number of proteins the body has to make to function every second, too many mistakes could lead to disease and thus reduce our lifespan.

Is this real? Let’s take a look at how the research was conducted to figure out whether we have to be concerned or not.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Cell Biology 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.029/