Fads in clothing come and go. Women鈥檚 skirts go up and then get longer. Men鈥檚 pants get wide and then narrower. Fads also occur in medicine.
In the 1980s, it was 鈥渓ow fat鈥� for packaged foods and weight-loss diets. Later on, the buzz word was 鈥渓ow carb鈥�. Now, walk down the aisle in supermarkets or health-food stores and it鈥檚 hard to miss the protein content in foods, or protein added to cereals, granola bars or shakes. So today, 鈥淧鈥� is popping up everywhere.
But what is so special about protein? In the past, it was recommended for athletes who only wanted larger muscles.
Now it鈥檚 also for those who want to lose weight. But a report from the University of California says that protein has fallen victim to Marketing 101. In effect, protein sells because consumers believe it to be 鈥渉ealthy.鈥� 聽
So are North Americans consuming too little or too much protein? According to University of California researchers, most people are getting more than enough protein. This amounts to 47 grams for a 130 pound person and 67 grams for someone weighing 185 pounds.
The exception is people over 65 years of age, who may not be getting enough dietary protein. 聽
Some of these people have dental problems and find it difficult to chew protein such as meat. Seniors also tend to lose muscle tissue due to age.
And they have to be reminded of a basic physiological fact,聽 that although protein is essential for healthy muscles, it鈥檚 not protein that builds strong muscles. Rather, it鈥檚 getting out of the chair and incorporating exercise into the daily routine.
Today, many seniors are in chronic-care facilities because they鈥檝e developed sarcopenia, weak muscles.
The tragedy is that their leg muscles have become so weak, they鈥檙e unable to get off the toilet. Or they fall, causing hip fractures that can mean ending life in a wheelchair or death. 聽
So you鈥檙e a vegetarian? Does this mean you may be lacking in protein? It could be, if you鈥檙e not eating a varied diet and neglecting dairy products and eggs. But veggie lovers can also get protein from nuts, grains, beans and even vegetables.
For those who want to lose weight, is protein Marketing 101 fact or fiction? The majority of studies show that adding protein to a calorie-restricted diet can promote loss of a modest amount of weight in the short term. And consuming extra protein tends to quell the hunger reflex, unlike low-protein diets.
But high-protein diets usually have the same outcome as other diets: The short-term effect is positive, the long term a failure. The failure rate would be less if more fibre was consumed along with extra protein.
Since hypertension remains one of the big cardiovascular killers, extra protein can be helpful. For instance, in 2014, The American Journal of Hypertension analyzed data from the long-standing Framingham Heart Study. It reported that people with the highest protein intake were 40 per cent less likely to develop hypertension.
Readers often ask me if high-protein diets can cause kidney disease. According to the University of California, research has shown that this is not the case if the kidneys are healthy.
But today, one in nine adults have chronic kidney disease (CKD). So if you decide to go on a high-protein diet, be sure to check with your doctor to make certain you do not suffer from CKD.
This is particularly important if you are over age 60, are obese or have diabetes, heart problems, hypertension or a family history of CKD.
Most people get more protein than they think. A four-ounce chicken breast and the same amount of tuna, shrimp and a can of sardines all have 30 grams. Yogurt has 17 grams, a slice of bread has three grams, an ounce of cheese has seven grams and a cup of ice cream has three grams.
