Animal Protein Is Not the Enemy: What a New Study Tells Us About Meat, Health, and Longevity
For decades, we have been told that red meat and animal protein are dangerous. Headlines warn that eating steak will clog your arteries, raise your risk of cancer, and shorten your life. Doctors, nutritionists, and food companies have repeated this story so often that it feels like fact. Yet a new study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism has revealed something very different. The truth is that animal protein is not linked to higher mortality. In fact, it may even be protective.
What the Study Found
Researchers looked at data from NHANES III, a massive health survey that followed people for years. They wanted to see if eating animal or plant protein had any connection to the risk of dying from any cause, cardiovascular disease, or cancer.
Here’s what they found:
“Animal protein usual intake was not associated with increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, or cancer mortality.”
Plant protein also showed no harmful association.
Surprisingly, animal protein showed a slight protective effect against cancer mortality, with the hazard ratio suggesting lower risk.
The study also examined IGF-1 (a growth factor often blamed for cancer risk with protein intake) and found “no detectable link between IGF-1 levels and mortality.”
In other words, the narrative that animal protein is harmful does not hold up under careful analysis.
Why This Matters
The myth that meat is bad for us has shaped guidelines, public health campaigns, and even school lunches for decades. Yet people continue to suffer from rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, all fueled by sugar and ultra-processed carbs, not by steak or eggs.
This study helps set the record straight. If protein, and especially animal protein, is not only safe but possibly beneficial, then we need to rethink what a healthy diet looks like.
Animal foods are nutrient-dense. They provide complete proteins, bioavailable vitamins and minerals like B12, iron, and zinc, and healthy fats that fuel our cells. When paired with a low-carb lifestyle, protein becomes the backbone of metabolic health. Fat and protein give us steady energy, help regulate hunger, and support muscle, bone, and brain function.
Debunking the Old Fears
The fear of red meat and animal protein often came from weak observational studies where people who ate meat also tended to smoke more, drink more, and exercise less. These confounding factors painted meat as the villain, when the real culprits were lifestyle habits and processed foods.
This new research puts another nail in the coffin of those old myths. If anything, it encourages us to look beyond outdated dietary dogma. As the authors note, “Animal and plant protein usual intakes are not adversely associated with all-cause, cardiovascular disease-, or cancer-related mortality risk.”
Moving Forward
It is time to put aside the fear and start embracing the real benefits of protein, especially from animal sources. For those of us who follow a low-carb lifestyle, this study is one more piece of evidence that we are on the right track. Cutting sugar and processed carbs while prioritizing meat, eggs, and other nutrient-rich animal foods is not dangerous. It is a path to better health.
The narrative around red meat needs to change. Instead of demonizing it, we should recognize it for what it is: one of the most nourishing, satiating, and health-supporting foods available.
Citation:
Papanikolaou, Y., Fulgoni, V.L., & Angelopoulos, T.J. (2025). Animal and plant protein usual intakes are not adversely associated with all-cause, cardiovascular disease-, or cancer-related mortality risk: an NHANES III analysis. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. PMID: 40418846
This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
In crafting this blog post, I aimed to encapsulate the essence of research findings while presenting the information in a reader-friendly format that promotes critical thinking and informed decision-making.
