For many years, there has been an emphasis in nutrtional science on getting enough protein. However, research shows that this emphasis has been misplaced. Rather than most people getting too little protein, Westerners eat two to three times more than they need. The respected nutritional scientist Dr. Mark Messima, formerly of the National Cancer Institute’s Diet and Cancer branch, sums it up. He says, “When people eat several servings of grains, beans, and vegetables throughout the day and get enough calories, it is virtually impossible to be deficient in protein.” Excess protein in the body leaches calcium from the bones and is the major cause of osteoporosis. In one study men on low(48g), medium(95g) and high(142g) protein diets were given 1400 mg of calcium per day for four months. The low protein group gained 20mg of calcium per day. The medium protein group lost 30 mg of calcium per day, and the high protien group lost 70 mg of calcium per day. Too much protein also causes deterioration of kidney function, and is linked to increased risk of cancer. Research and epidemiological studies correlate high protein intake with increased growth rates and decreased life span.
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For many years, there has been an emphasis in nutrtional science on getting enough protein. However, research shows that this emphasis has been misplaced. Rather than most people getting too little protein, Westerners eat two to three times more than they need. The respected nutritional scientist Dr. Mark Messima, formerly of the National Cancer Institute’s Diet and Cancer branch, sums it up. He says, “When people eat several servings of grains, beans, and vegetables throughout the day and get enough calories, it is virtually impossible to be deficient in protein.” Excess protein in the body leaches calcium from the bones and is the major cause of osteoporosis. In one study men on low(48g), medium(95g) and high(142g) protein diets were given 1400 mg of calcium per day for four months. The low protein group gained 20mg of calcium per day. The medium protein group lost 30 mg of calcium per day, and the high protien group lost 70 mg of calcium per day. Too much protein also causes deterioration of kidney function, and is linked to increased risk of cancer. Research and epidemiological studies correlate high protein intake with increased growth rates and decreased life span.
This entry was posted
on Monday, May 28th, 2007 at 4:36 pm and is filed under Helpful Hints.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.