High protein diet ‘as risky as smoking’

A high-protein diet could be as dangerous as smoking 20 cigarettes a day, a new study has found.

Research from the University of Southern California shows that high levels of dietary animal protein in those under 65 were associated with a fourfold increase in their risk of death from cancer compared to those on a low-protein diet.

This is an increased mortality risk associated with a 20-a-day smoking habit.