Download Nutrition Wars: Choosing Better Protein

Nutrition Wars: Choosing Better Protein
What is protein?
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Protein is one of the six nutrients your body needs for good health, along with
Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, and Water.
Protein is made up of amino acids. When you eat foods high in
protein like milk or chicken, your body digests or breaks down the
protein into amino acids.
Your body then uses these amino acids to make the thousands of
different proteins your body needs.
Why is protein important?
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The main job of protein is to build and repair all the cells and tissues in your
body. For example, if you cut your finger your body uses amino acids to form the
protein that makes your blood clot and form new skin/scar tissue so the cut will
heal. Protein is the only nutrient that does this.
Protein also helps create:
9 Enzymes. They serve many functions including digestion.
9 Hormones. One hormone is insulin that helps control the blood sugar level
of your body.
9 Antibodies. They fight infection and help your immune system.
How much protein does my body need?
Protein contributes 4 calories per gram, just like carbohydrates.
• You need to include protein in your diet everyday since your body does not store
extra protein or amino acids.
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• The Recommended Dietary Allowance (known as the RDA) suggests:
9 46-50 grams of protein per day for healthy adult women
9 58-63 grams of protein per day for healthy adult men
• The Institute of Medicine (IOM)2 suggests:
9 10-35% of your total calories should come from protein
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Where do I get protein in my diet?
Here’s a quick protein dictionary.
• 8 grams in an 8-ounce cup of milk or yogurt
• 7 grams in:
9 1 ounce of cooked meat, fish, or poultry (thus eating a 3 ounce serving of
meat, fish, or poultry would give you 21 grams of protein)
9 1 ounce of cheese
9 ¼ cup cottage cheese or egg substitute
9 ½ cup tofu or cooked legumes like pinto beans or lentils
9 1 egg
9 2 TBSP of nuts or peanut butter
• 3 grams in each serving of bread, rice, pasta, cereal
• 2 grams in each serving of vegetables
In summary, most nutrition experts recommend that you get your protein by
eating a variety of foods within a balanced diet. Even vegetarians can meet their
protein needs by eating a wide variety of plant foods; grains, fruits and vegetables,
soy and other legumes. Supplements of amino acids, protein, or soy isoflavones are
not recommended for general use by healthy adults.
*Sources:
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Recommended Dietary Allowances, 10th Edition, National Academy of Sciences, 1998.
2
The Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Fat, Protein and Amino Acid
(Macronutrients), Food and Nutrition Board Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press, 2002.
What if I eat more or less than the recommended amount of protein?
Consuming very low or very high amounts of protein each day creates the potential for
an inadequate intake of many other important nutrients and an increased risk for chronic
disease.
• Eating below the recommended amount of protein you may feel tired and
sluggish. Over time the muscles and organs of the body can shrink in size. It can
also cause a decline in immune system functioning.
• Eating above the recommended amount of protein (as many Americans do) is
usually not a problem unless it is contributing to weight gain. The body does not
have a storage site for extra protein or amino acids. Any extra that the body
doesn’t need is converted and stored as fat. Another consideration is that an
excess of higher-fat protein may lead to you eating more than 30% of your
calories from fat.
• The National Academy of Sciences recommendation is to not exceed two times
the RDA for protein. While too little protein can compromise bodily health,
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eating “mega” (defined as two times the RDA or higher) amounts of protein will
not make your immune system more powerful or increase muscle mass.
The risks of very high protein intake (more than two times the RDA) are:
9 High protein intakes are associated with increasing the risk of kidney
stones and raising blood uric acid levels which causes gout.
9 High protein intakes cause stress to the liver.
9 High protein intakes cause stress to the kidneys and can speed the
progression of kidney disease. This is a great concern since diabetes
can decrease the kidney’s filtering capacity. Most high protein diet
books include a warning about the risk of kidney disease if following a
high protein diet.
9 High protein diets may cause calcium loss from your bones.
Ask yourself if you need to moderate your portions of protein foods. Or, perhaps
you are someone who needs to increase the low-fat protein foods in your diet.
Often people eliminate protein foods as a way to lower their fat grams and thus
end up eating too many carbohydrates.
How can I choose “better” protein?
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Include moderate portions of low fat protein food throughout the day.
Protein foods usually contain fat, too. So choose low fat meats. Do not eat the
skin on chicken and turkey. Choose low fat or fat free milk and dairy products as
well.
Eat fish two or more times per week for protein and omega-3 fatty acids. The
most nutrient dense source of protein is water-packed tuna, which has 80% of its
calories from protein.
Include small portions of nuts in your diet for protein, fiber, magnesium,
unsaturated fat, and phytochemicals. Enjoy a peanut butter sandwich using
whole-grain bread for lunch instead of a hamburger. Try a handful of nuts as a
snack in place of pretzels or popcorn.
Experiment with meatless meals using legumes or soy. Aim for one soy product
in your diet each day. Try to include soy foods like tofu, soy milk, soy nuts,
soynut butter, or Kashi cereal. Soy can help reduce your risk of cancer, heart
disease, and osteoporosis. Soy contains isoflavones that may help control
symptoms of menopause.
Determine your protein “battle plan” in Nutrition Wars.
Do you need to?
_____include more protein throughout the day
_____choose lower fat protein choices
_____moderate protein portion sizes
_____experiment with meatless meal using legumes or soy
_____other______________________________________