HIGH-PROTEIN DIETS - ARE YOU LOSING MORE THAN WEIGHT?

By Monique N. Gilbert
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Protein is a vital nutrient, essential to your health.  In its purest
form, protein consists of chains of amino acids.  There are 22 amino acids
that combine to form different proteins, and 8 of these must come from the
foods we eat.  Our body uses these amino acids to create muscles, blood,
skin, hair, nails and internal organs.  Proteins help replace and form new
tissue, transports oxygen and nutrients in our blood and cells, regulates the
balance of water and acids, and is needed to make antibodies.  However, too
much of a good thing may not be so good for you.  Many people are putting
their health at risk by eating to much protein.  Excessive protein
consumption, particularly animal protein, can result in heart disease,
stroke, osteoporosis, and kidney stones.  As important as protein is for our
body, there are many misconceptions about how much we really need in our
diet, and the best way to obtain it.

    The average American eats about twice as much protein than what is
actually required.  Some people, in the pursuit of thinness, are going on
high-protein diets and are eating up to four times the amount of protein that
their body needs.  Protein deficiency is certainly not a problem in America. 
So exactly how much protein does your body really need?  Much less than you
think.  According to the American Heart Association and the National
Institutes of Health, as little as 50-60 grams of protein is enough for most
adults.  This breaks down to about 10-12% of total calories.  Your body only
needs 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight.  To calculate the exact
amount you need, multiply your ideal weight by 0.36.  This will give you your
optimum daily protein requirement in grams.  Since the amount of protein
needed depends on the amount of lean body mass and not fat, ideal weight is
used instead of actual weight.  Infants, children, pregnant and nursing women
require more protein.

    People on high-protein diets are consuming up to 34% of their total
calories in the form of protein and up to 53% of total calories from fat. 
Most of these people are unaware of the amount of protein and fat that is
contained in the foods they eat.  For instance, a typical 3-ounce beef
hamburger, which is small by American standards, contains about 22 grams of
protein and 20 grams of fat.  You achieve quick weight loss on these diets
because of this high fat content.  High fat foods give you the sensation of
feeling full, faster, so you end up eating fewer total calories.  However,
this type of protein and fat combination is not the healthiest.  Animal
proteins are loaded with cholesterol and saturated fat.  Many people on these
diets also experience an elevation in their LDL (the bad) cholesterol when
they remain on this diet for long periods.  High levels of LDL cholesterol in
the blood clog arteries and is the chief culprit in heart disease,
particularly heart attack and stroke.  So while you may lose weight in the
short-run, you are putting your cardiovascular health in jeopardy in the
long-run.

    Another reason weight loss is achieved on these high-protein diets, at
least temporarily, is actually due to water loss.  The increase in the amount
of protein consumed, especially from meat and dairy products, raises the
levels of uric acid and urea in the blood.  These are toxic by-products of
protein breakdown and metabolism.  The body eliminates this uric acid and
urea by pumping lots of water into the kidneys and urinary tract to help it
flush out.  However, a detrimental side effect of this diuretic response is
the loss of essential minerals from the body, including calcium.  The high
intake of protein leaches calcium from the bones, which leads to
osteoporosis. 

    Medical evidence shows that the body loses an average of 1.75 milligrams
of calcium in the urine for every 1 gram increase in animal protein ingested.
 Additionally, as calcium and other minerals are leached from our bones, they
are deposited in the kidneys and can form into painful kidney stones.  If a
kidney stone becomes large enough to cause a blockage, it stops the flow of
urine from the kidney and must be removed by surgery or other methods.

    Plant-based proteins, like that found in soy, lowers LDL cholesterol and
raises HDL (the good) cholesterol.  This prevents the build up of arterial
plaque which leads to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart
disease, thus reducing the risk heart attack and stroke.  The amount and type
of protein in your diet also has an important impact on calcium absorption
and excretion.  Vegetable-protein diets enhance calcium retention in the body
and results in less excretion of calcium in the urine.  This reduces the risk
of osteoporosis and kidney problems.  Interestingly, kidney disease is far
less common in people who eat a vegetable-based diet than it is in people who
eat an animal-based diet.  By replacing animal protein with vegetable protein
and replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat, like that found in olive
and canola oils, you can avoid the pitfalls of the typical high-protein diet.
You will be able to improve your health and regulate your weight while
enjoying a vast array of delicious, nutritionally dense, high fiber foods. 
Remember, eat everything in moderation and nothing in excess.  Also, the only
healthy way to achieve permanent weight loss is to burn more calories than
you take in.  Anything else is just a gimmick. 

To learn more about the health benefits of soy, visit the Virtues of Soy
website at http://www.virtuesofsoy.com.

Monique N. Gilbert is a Health Advocate, Recipe Developer, Soy Food
Connoisseur and the author of "Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and
Cookbook" (Universal Publishers, $19.95, available at most online
booksellers).  E-mail:  monique@chef.net  -  http://www.virtuesofsoy.com

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