Excessive intake of sulfur-containing amino acids may increase risk of cardiovascular disease and death

Eating too many foods containing sulfur amino acids (found mostly in proteins like beef, chicken and dairy) may increase a person's risk of cardiovascular disease and death, according to a new preliminary study

Sulfur amino acids are essential for metabolism and overall health, but the average American consumes far more than needs—up to 2.

"This may provide part of the reason why people whose diets emphasize healthy plant-based foods have a lower probability of cardiovascular disease than those who eat foods high in meat and dairy products," said Laila Al-Shaar, assistant professor of epidemiology.

The researchers analyzed data from 120,699 people in two long-term national studies -- the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study

On average, the participants consumed more than twice the recommended amount of sulfur amino acids per day, mostly from beef, chicken and milk

The vast majority of participants (at least 94 percent) were non-Hispanic white men and women, whose socioeconomic status may not be representative of the entire population because they are health professionals

Several animal studies over the past few decades have shown that limiting these types of amino acids -- especially methionine and cysteine ​​-- can slow the aging process and help animals live longer, but translating these benefits to humans has been shown to is difficult

A study published in 2020 in The Lancet Clinical Medicine by the same Penn State team linked higher intake of sulfur amino acids with a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease

It also builds on a study Arshar led as a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston

People can get their estimated average requirement for sulfur amino acids -- 15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, from plant-based sources or fish, Al-Shaar said

"Since red meat has been found to be associated with worse health outcomes," she said, "it is best to focus on healthier protein sources to meet average requirements for sulfur amino acids

Judith Wylie-Rosett, a professor of epidemiology and population health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said the new study further looked at the overall diet of U.

"We all need to pay attention to dietary patterns, because Americans' dietary patterns are so far from recommendations," said Willie-Rossett, who was not involved in the study

The study also aligns with current research on metabolism and specific biomarkers known as "metabolomics," a tool for tailoring precision medicine to specific patients

"We're moving in the direction of precision nutrition," Willie-Rossett said