The largest study to examine the effects of different sources of dietary protein found that a high intake of proteins from animal sources - particularly processed and unprocessed red meats - was associated with a higher mortality rate, while a high intake of protein from plant sources was associated with a lower risk of death. Results from the study - which analyzed data from two long-term epidemiologic studies - appears in the August 1 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine. "Overall, our findings support the importance of the sources of dietary protein for long-term health outcomes," says Mingyang Song, MD, ScD, a research fellow in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit (CTEU) and Division of Gastroenterology and corresponding author of the report. "While previous studies have primarily focused on the overall amount of protein intake - which is important - from a broad dietary perspective, the particular foods that people consume to get