According to a new research, it is healthier to have protein and fat derived from plants rather than animal sources, if you plan to slash your carbs intake.

For many decades, researchers tracked 85,168 women and 44,548 men. The partakers underwent some food surveys. It was found that people who took proteins and fats derived from animal sources in place of carbs ran a higher risk to die from all kind of diseases, together with cancer and heart disease.

On the other hand, the scientists discovered that those who took plant-based foods were less prone to suffer from cardiovascular disease or die from it.

Lead author, Teresa Fung of Simmons College in Boston suggests that beans and nuts are packed with proteins.

Internist Eric Westman, author of The New Atkins for a New You says that people should not get discouraged to opt for a low-carbohydrate diet, by this study.

Dr. Frank B. Hu, senior author of a study said, "You can have the initial Atkins-type of low-carb diet, which is loaded with sausages, bacon, steaks, and you can have healthy versions of the low-carb diet with more vegetable- or plant-based protein and fat".

The study's findings were published in the Sept. 7 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.