Dr. Rhonda Patrick

There was some human data in that study looking specifically at and identifying, they identified leucine as a major driver of this because leucine in circulation activates macrophages, which are one part of the bigger, larger story in atherosclerosis.

I was wondering what your thoughts are on, I know it's not your study, but on high protein diets.

I mean, first of all, can you even translate that sort of study to humans when you're consuming 22% of your calories from protein and that's causing atherosclerosis?

Yes, and I think they had some other markers of arteriosclerosis as well, but yes.

Right.

And that's where exercise and physical activity is key because you are not only, you know, I mean, most of the time you are, of course, burning energy.

So you can consume more, but your muscle is taking up glucose.

It's taking up the protein.

It's taking up leucine.

So it's not in circulation activating macrophages, right?

So the exercise, and there's even been studies that have looked at, for example, people that are consuming meat versus a vegan source of protein and how cancer mortality is higher in these meat eaters.

It's all-cause mortality is higher in meat eaters.

But when you then do a subgroup analysis and you say, okay,

I only want the meat eaters that have no unhealthy lifestyle factors.

So they're not sedentary.

They're not overweight, obese.

They're not smoking and they're not consuming excess alcohol.

Guess what?

Their cancer mortality and all-cause mortality was the same as people consuming the plant protein.

So if you are going to be unhealthy and obese and sedentary and smoke, perhaps you shouldn't eat