People know that by eating a high protein and low carb, low fat diet, they will lose weight. But it is not worth it. When you eat too much of carbs or fats, you store it as body fat. When you eat too much protein, where do you store it? Your body cannot store it. The body has to get rid of it. It breaks it down. People eat way too much protein. When the protein is broken down, it creates toxins and acids. The body becomes too acidic which leads to many health problems. The American Dietetic Association says that vegans [they eat no animal foods-- no meat, fish, fowl, eggs or dairy] eat twice the amount of protein that they need.
The acids cause your body to remove calcium from your bones to neutralize the acids (see bottom of article). The toxins from the breakdown of protein, attacks your arteries and can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. College textbooks on nutrition say that protein deficiency is rare in the world and does not exist in this part of the world (U.S.A.). That means that while there are millions of people starving because they are not getting enough carbs and fats, it is rare to get enough of them but not enough protein.
There is nothing magical about protein. Some people will say that some food provides whole protein, but almost all do. Protein is made up of 8 essential amino acids and that is all (now there are 9-- see below). Almost all fruits and vegetables have all 8 essential amino acids. An avocado has 4 grams of protein and 4.2 grams of fiber. Animal foods have no fiber. It is 60% fat, but this fat is anti-inflammatory. Here are the amino acids that make up the protein in an avocado:
- 42 mg of trytophan
- 133 mg of threonine
- 143 mg of isoleucine
- 247 mg of leucine
- 189 mg of lycine
- 74 mg of methionine
- 137 mg of phenolalanine
- 195 mg of valine
A cup of navy beans has 19.7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. It has all 8 amino acids and the smallest amount is 233 mg of tryptophan. The above comes from the book, Nutrition Almanac, 4th Edition (1996). It says that histadine is an essential amino acid in infants and it has been added to the 8 essential ones for adults. But it was added after they tested hundreds of foods for the 8 amino acids. A potato has 4.7 grams of protein, 1.2 grams of fiber and all 8 amino acids with the lowest being 73 mg of tryptophan and methionine. Four ounces of pistachio nuts have 23.2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, 8 amino acids with the least being 320 mg of tryptophan.
The magic is in the thousands of different phytochemicals that are in plant foods that prevent blindness, prevent cancer, prevent heart attacks and that prevent strokes. More than 900 different phytochemicals have been found in plant foods and more will be discovered. For example lycopene that makes tomatoes, grapefruit and watermelon red. Also there is lutein, resveratrol, (indole-3-carbinol), anthocyanins and many more.
Lutein and zeaxanthin, in spinach prevent blindness in old age. The John Hopkins University School of Medicine found that the sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts "may reduce the risk of cancer, a disease of many factors" according to their group, the Brassica Foundation. So they bred broccoli high in this phytochemical and patented it.
The brain needs lots of carbs. If a person does not get enough, he can get depressed. This can lead to someone killing themselves. So it is not worth it to lose some weight and end up dead. Also the brain needs plenty of carbohydrates for you to sleep well. If you are not getting enough carbs, that can make it hard to sleep leading to mental problems and even a nervous breakdown.
Of course the good carbs from foods made by nature like fruits and vegetables are good for you. The bad carbs from foods made by man are bad for you, like cookies, donuts and candy. These foods are designed to make you fat and addicted to food. The unholy grains, like wheat and rice are also bad for you. The whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice, wild rice, millet, barley, buckwheat, kamut, spelt and quinoa are good for you.
Fats are needed to lubricate the brain, arteries and skin. A lack of good fat (like omega-3) can cause you to become depressed. It can also lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Also it can cause skin problems. The bad fats are bad for you. But the good fats are good for you. Fish cannot be included as good fats since there is too much mercury in them from pollution. But you can get good fat from avocados. It is 60% fat and it is great for you. It is even anti-inflammatory which can help your joints.
When they are soft but not mushy, they are good to eat. Sometimes they have brown in them and they are not good so it is like a gamble buying them. But it is well worth it. Other good fats are olives, olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds. Studies with olive oil show that it helps your arteries and helps you to be thinner. Flaxseeds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds are good sources of omega --3s, a fat that people do not get enough of. President Bush takes an omega--3 supplement.
Americans eat way too much protein which is why most of them get myocardial infarctions or cerebrovascular accidents (AKA heart attacks or strokes) according to book, Fasting and Eating for Health (1995), by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. Americans consume 5 times the protein they need causing 50% of them, over 65, to have hypertension (AKA high blood pressure).
Yet in some places in the world, high blood pressure is rare. The American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org) says not to have more than 6 ounces a day of meat, fish or poultry. The saturated fat in meat is also bad for you (increases cholesterol levels). So in studies, they had people switch from beef to a leaner meat like chicken. But they got more protein bite-for-bite and had no improvement in cardiovascular health. Studies show that fruits and vegetables prevent cancer. Meat causes cancer according to this big study done.
That book, Nutrition Almanac, says "A vegetarian diet full of fruits and vegetables and grains has been found to be the most helpful in lowering or eliminating high blood pressure." 40% of Americans over age 40 have high blood pressure. Kevin Trudeau says in More Natural Cures Revealed (© 2006) "The meat [beef] ...is loaded with drugs, growth hormone, as well as feces and urine.... The fact is cows are vegetarian and should not be eating the type of feed given to them. Specifically they should not be eating ground up pigs, horses, goats, and other cows, most of which were sick and diseased and not capable of butchering for human consumption."
David Williams, D.C. (Alternatives Newsletter) says that women live longer since menstruation causes them to lose iron. He cites New England Journal of Medicine (N Eng L Med 03;348 (19):1835-1837). Donating blood helps you get rid of excess iron and so does fasting. The 3 fathers of modern medicine (Hippocrates, Galen and Paracelsus) all used fasting. See this: Haemochromatosis.
Frederic Vagnini, MD, assistant clinical professor at Weill Cornell Medical College and medical director for the Heart, Diabetes and Weight -Loss Centers of New York, says (page 41 in Bottom Line Yearbook 2008), "Never take a supplement for iron without consulting your physician-- excess iron can accumulate in your major organs and cause severe damage."
Here is more information from Fasting and Eating for Health (by Joel Fuhrman M.D.). Page 39 says "Multiple studies have linked osteoporosis not to low calcium intakes, but to diets high in protein, refined sugar, caffeine, and phosphorus contained in soft drinks, all of which cause an excessive loss of calcium in the urine." [Hegsted M, Linkswiler HM. Long-term effects of level of protein intake on calcium metabolism in young adult women. Journal of Nutrition 1981;111:244-51.][Zemel MB, Schuette SA, Hegsted M, Linkswiler HM. Role of sulfer-containing amino acids in protein induced hypercalciuria (the presence of abnormally great amounts of calcium in the urine) in men. Journal of Nutrition 1981;111:545-52.]
"In fact, populations that consume the highest levels of calcium usually have the highest rates of osteoporosis-related hip fractures." [Mazess RB, Mather W. Bone mineral content of North American Eskimos. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1974;27:916-925.] "The U.S. RDA (recommended daily allowance) for protein is 44 grams for a young woman. This includes a two-fold safety factor, which doubles the minimum requirements as determined by nitrogen balance studies."
"Plant products contain an abundance of protein, without being excessive (page 40). How else can the gorilla get to be 800 pounds of muscle, eating solely fruit and leaves?"
"Numerous studies have shown that the formation of kidney stones is directly proportional (page 41) to the amount of animal protein in the diet. [Robertson WG, Peacock M, Hodgkinson A. Dietary changes and the incidence of urinary calculi in the U.K. between 1958 and 1976. Journal of Chronic Disease 1979;22:469-476.]"
"In reality, (page 95) high-protein diets are linked with the development of serious diseases including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, renal insufficiency, and kidney stones." Vegetarian Times says "By individually tailoring nutrition plans based on a case-by-case basis, Fuhrman has treated hundreds of patients with rheumatoid arthritis successfully." The body needs vitamin D from the sun to put calcium in the bones.
"The misunderstanding of human protein requirements began 70 years ago when two scientists published the results of a study that showed that rats fed vegetable protein grew more slowly than rats fed animal protein. Today, we have to interpret this information much differently. First of all, we now know that humans and rats have different protein requirements and that people can get all the protein they need from plant sources. More important, we now have found that rats that grow and mature the quickest die earliest."
"The average American (page 96) consumes about 150 grams of protein a day-- about 5 times the amount actually needed. This excess protein, not to mention the fat that accompanies it, is extremely damaging." "Urea is one irritating substance that results from consuming excess protein." "Researchers are finding that many of these other by-products of protein digestion have a powerful toxic effect on the brain, and can cause mental fatigue and confusion as their levels rise in the body." "A crucial point to keep in mind here is that there are about 14 other toxins besides urea that are breakdown products of protein metabolism."
Steven Pratt, M.D., says in Super Foods Rx (© 2008), "Keep in mind (page 22) that eating plant protein leads to less calcium loss than animal protein, a benefit to those who are vulnerable to osteoporosis. In general, as you increase your protein intake, you increase the amount of calcium lost from your bones. The acidity that occurs with eating meat increases the calcium loss compared with plant protein."
On page 122 he says "For one thing, the more protein you take in, the more calcium you excrete in your urine, thus raising your risk for osteoporosis." "A high-protein diet is also associated with some risk for kidney damage among susceptible people."
No comments:
Post a Comment