By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Wellness

For years, protein got a bum rap from folks who believed that eating too much meat leached calcium from the bones. But then, about 10 years ago, the protein debate all but fell off the radar screen as doctors and nutritionists focused on fat and carbohydrates. But now protein’s power is back – and in a big way, especially for older adults.

12 Building Blocks

Protein is made up of twenty different building blocks, called amino acids, arranged in thousands of different ways. It’s so prevalent that every cell in the human body contains protein. On a large scale, protein serves to build strong stuctures in the body, like our bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Getting enough protein also maintains the muscles in our bodies, including our vital organs like the diaphragm used for breathing and the heart for pumping blood. It also creates the enzymes and hormones that trigger biochemical reactions throughout the body.

But protein doesn’t just create our body’s scaffolding and communication center. It also protects us from disease because it is part of the immune system. As such, protein helps guard against foreign invaders like bacteria, viruses and toxic substances.

With all that protein does for us, we couldn’t live without it!

Tackling Chronic Disease

Including more protein in your diet can help prevent two of the biggest health threats – type 2 diabetes and heart disease. High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets reduce fasting blood sugar levels, lower after-meal insulin response and improve overall long-term blood sugar control. Recent studies conducted at the University of Illinois, Urbana, found that dietary protein also reduces the risk factors for heart disease by lowering blood pressure, cutting total cholesterol, boosting “good” HDL cholesterol and increasing the size of “bad” (LDL) particles, making them less prone to the oxidation that damages arteries.

Protein might also improve heart health by helping to keep your weight under control. Eating protein-rich foods keeps hunger at bay. Experts say getting 30 percent of calories as protein may curb appetite via the brain chemical leptin.

The key to protein’s benefits, however, is to ditch the fat. The popular notion of the Atkin’s diet – slabs of bacon and greasy burgers without the bun – will just clog your arteries and set you up for a future of cardiovascular disease, obesity and possibly even some cancers. Opt instead for lean protein like fish, skinless chicken, legumes and soy.

No Bones About It

Although protein’s effect on calcium balance and bone health is still controversial in some circles, a higher protein intake seems to be linked to greater bone mass and fewer fractures as long as calcium intake is adequate. In fact, one review by Swiss researchers concluded that dietary protein is as essential as calcium and vitamin D for bone health and osteoporosis prevention.

Of course, bone loss isn’t the only problem facing older Americans. Eating more protein plus engaging in strength exercises may be the best way to minimize the gradual loss of muscle that accompanies aging. Muscle loss impairs balance, increasing the risk of falling. By supporting strong bones and muscles, protein can increase the odds of staying on your feet and out of a wheelchair in your 70s and beyond.

One Last Thing . . .

So how much protein do you need? The current Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is 46 grams a day for women, 56 for men. That’s enough to prevent a protein deficiency and meet basic needs. But maybe basic isn’t enough.

New government data reveals that while protein intake among young adults has increased to an average of 91 grams a day, older Americans are only getting about 66 grams – and older women are likely to get even less than that.

Fortunately, it’s easy to up your protein intake. Of course, most of us think of meat when we think of protein – and for good reason. Lean meat and poultry are excellent sources of high quality protein. But you don’t have to spend a fortune at the butcher. Cheaper cuts of meat – as long as they are lean – can provide just as much quality protein as filet mignon. Just be sure to marinate them or toss them in the crock pot to make them tender.
Other good sources of protein include fish, beans, soy and low-fat dairy. Try to include two to four ounces of quality protein in each meal. If you still aren’t getting enough, try making daily shakes or smoothies with a protein powder made from soy or whey.

Don’t worry about overdoing it. For most people, too much protein is unlikely. But be aware that a high-protein intake is detrimental to people with declining kidney or liver function. And don’t overdo the calories – otherwise extra protein is simply converted to body fat.

This Just In . . .

For years, those in the know have touted the heart-healthy benefits of garlic. But now, researchers from The University of Adelaide in South Australia report that garlic supplements may lower blood pressure just as effectively as some drugs used to treat hypertension.

The investigators reviewed 11 studies in which the patients were randomly assigned to receive either garlic or a placebo. In most of the studies, the participants took a standardized garlic supplement for 12 to 23 weeks. Doses ranged from 600 mg. to 900 mg. daily.

When the researchers pooled the data from the trials, they found that garlic reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by an average of 4.6 mm Hg. An analysis limited to people with high blood pressure showed garlic reduced systolic blood pressure by 8.4 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by 7.3 mm Hg. The higher a person’s blood pressure was at the beginning of the study, the more it was reduced by taking garlic.

These effects were similar to those of widely used drugs for treating hypertension like beta blockers, which reduce systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg, and ACE inhibitors, which produce an average 8 mm Hg drop in systolic blood pressure.

So if you’ve been diagnosed with mild to moderate hypertension, talk to your doctor about taking a garlic supplement before starting drug therapy. It just might be enough to keep you from visiting your local pharmacy.

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References:

Bonjour JP. “Dietary protein: an essential nutrient for bone health.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2005;24:526S-36S.

Kerstetter JE, O’Brien KO, Caseria DM, et al. “The impact of dietary protein on calcium absorption and kinetic measures of bone turnover in women.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2005;90:26-31.

Layman DK, Clifton P, Gannon MC, et al. “Protein in optimal health: heart disease and type 2 diabetes.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  2008;87:1571S-1575S.

Ried K, Frank OR, Stocks NP, et al. “Effect of garlic on blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” BMC Cardiovascular Disorders. 2008; 8:13