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WORDS:
Eve Boggenpoel
PHOTOGRAPHY
: iStock *To find out the exact methionine and cysteine content of foods, visit nutritiondataself.com
Watch your protein
Filling up on protein may help your weight-loss or muscle-building goals,
but did you know too much could be bad for your heart? New research
from Penn State University in the US found that certain components of
protein – the sulphur amino acids methionine and cysteine – could do
more harm than good if eaten excessively. Analysing data from 11,576
individuals, the scientists calculated participants’ cardiometabolic disease
risk – the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, stroke and
diabetes – and found those with the highest sulphur amino acid intake
tended to have the highest cardiometabolic risk scores too. Egg whites,
halibut, chicken and tuna are rich in methionine, while the highest
levels of cysteine are found in beef, pork and milk. Stick to the
estimated average requirement 15mg per kg of bodyweight*
for sulphur amino acids and you shouldn’t go far wrong.