I have blogged about carbohydrates (and
that is natural for those of us with type 2 diabetes) because we need
to reduce the number of carbohydrates we consume. I have also
blogged about fat because we now know that fat is not bad for us like
many doctors want us to believe that follow the teaching of Ancel
Keys who has been proven wrong. Many are having better test result
for cholesterol when eating more fat.
Now we are hearing about the third macronutrient, protein. Yes, most grocery stores have more foods
advertised as being high protein. Although protein has, until
recently, kept a low profile compared to fat and carbohydrates, it’s
always been a major player in the body. Present in every cell,
proteins act as building blocks for all types of tissue. Foods
naturally high in protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs,
nuts, and seeds, also tend to be high in other important nutrients.
Some writers want to label high protein
a fad, and others are saying protein is needed for the building
blocks in our body. While the latter is true, high quantities of
protein can have adverse effects on our body, especially for those
that have renal weakness. When a writer says there are a lot of
perceived health benefits to consuming more protein, remember that
the meaning of perceived means - to recognize, discern, envision, or
understand.
Three-quarters of U.S. consumers agree
that protein contributes to a healthy diet, and more than half say
they want to eat more of it. The study found that nearly half of the
primary grocery shoppers in a household have bought protein-enriched
foods. Americans are looking for protein to aid in satiety, weight
management, boost muscle recovery, and build muscle after a workout
The U.S. is by far the world’s
biggest market for high-protein products. Introductions of foods and
drinks making a high-protein claim in 2012 were almost triple that of
any other country. And yet, according to the most recent available
data, Americans aren’t exactly pigging out on protein.
They really don’t have to, according
to the government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines, to be updated late
next year. The guidelines, issued jointly by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, give
plenty of leeway when it comes to protein, recommending that adults
over age 18 get 10% to 35% of their daily calories from the nutrient.
Nobody’s anywhere near the 35%, says Trish Britten, PhD, a USDA
nutritionist. As a population, we are at 15.5%. And the top 5% of
protein-eaters get only 19.6% of their calories from the nutrient,
Britten says.
The USDA recently began calculating
Americans’ usual intake of protein, so information about trends
over time isn’t yet available. But if saturated fat consumption is
any indication, change occurs very slowly. The USDA has been
tracking saturated fat as a percent of calories forever. So despite
the growing popularity of protein-added products, it’s doubtful
that Americans are eating much more than they were before it was all
the rage.
Frank Hu, MD, PhD, MPH, a professor of
nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard says, “The current
American diet contains too much refined carbohydrates. I think it’s
a good idea to replace at least some of the refined carbs and added
sugars with healthy sources of proteins, such as nuts, legumes,
no-fat dairy products. In other words, trading a nutty chocolate bar
for a handful of nuts might not be a bad idea.”
Dr. Hu continues, “If you’re
engaged in a high level of physical activity, particularly resistance
training, you probably need more protein than the average individual,
perhaps as much as 20% to 25% of your calories.” Dr. Hu concludes
by saying, “We don’t know how high is too high, although, given
the USDA data, few Americans are anywhere near the upper limit of the
government’s Dietary Guidelines. If you want to increase your
protein, cut back on less-nutritious foods such as simple carbs.”
Yoni Freedhoff, MD, an assistant
professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, made this
statement, "Unless you have pre-existing kidney problems I
have no concerns about people eating large amounts of protein.”
The last statement is the concern you
should have before jumping on the protein bandwagon. If necessary,
have a talk with your doctor and find out if there are problems or if
he needs to do some tests. Let the doctor know that you are
interested in increasing the amount of protein in your diet. This
will let the doctor know that he needs to make sure that you will not
have problems with increased protein.
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