The global fitness industry’s love affair with protein — from carnivorous diets to supplement shakes — may be coming under scrutiny once again. Viral video of American cardiologist Dr. Dmitri Yaranov has reignited the debate over whether eating too much protein, especially from animal sources, can silently damage the heart.
Dr. Yaranov, who specializes in heart failure and transplants, said in an Instagram post titled “This is how a high-protein diet can lead to a heart attack at 35” that he has treated several apparently fit individuals who arrived at the emergency room without symptoms or prior warning.
“Looks like a statue. Ripped. Vascular. Peak performance. But I’ve seen what’s inside those vessels — and it’s not pretty,” the doctor wrote, referring to patients who appeared in top shape on the outside but had severely damaged arteries.
What the cardiologist says
According to Dr. Yaranov, long-term reliance on high-protein diets — especially those high in animal protein — can trigger a cascade of internal damage. Among the main risks he pointed out are elevated LDL cholesterol, chronic inflammation and early atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
These conditions, he said, can narrow or block arteries over time, leading to heart attacks in people who otherwise appear healthy and athletic.
“Athletic doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, he warned.” If your diet destroys your endothelium, it doesn’t matter how strong your biceps are.”
Debate on the role of protein
His message resonated widely online, but also caused confusion – could protein, a key macronutrient essential to the body, really be the villain?
Another cardiologist disagreed with Dr. Yaranov’s claim, saying the risk may be overstated.
“As a high-volume interventional cardiologist, I have not had a single patient in his 30s who fit this clinical profile—fit and on a carnivorous diet,” he wrote in a commentary. “Every 30-year-old man with a heart attack I’ve treated fits the classic picture: obese, diabetic, and with uncontrolled blood pressure or cholesterol. I agree that a carnivorous diet could increase long-term risk, but it’s unlikely to affect a 30- or 40-year-old to that extent.”
He added that the more typical cases of heart attack in healthy individuals occur in those aged 50 and over, often associated with proximal blockage of the LAD (one of the main arteries supplying the heart).
A nutritionist also weighed in, pointing out that not all high-protein diets are the same.
“That’s not right! One could eat a diet high in protein from lean sources like egg whites, grilled chicken, chickpeas, tuna or fish,” she wrote. “Balanced, high-protein diets actually improve glucose control, appetite regulation, and reduce disease risk.”
