What I Eat in a Day | Vegan | In Ireland | High Carb ~ Low Fat ~ Low Pro...

7 Reasons Why Protein is Overrated

1. A Diet of Animal Protein Could Be as Harmful as Smoking

The result of this study which followed 6318 people concluded that those who ate a diet high in protein were 4 times more likely to die from cancer than those following a low protein diet.

“The percent of calorie intake from protein was used to categorize subjects into a high protein group (20% or more of calories from proteins), a moderate protein group (10%–19% of calories from proteins), and a low protein group (less than 10% of calories from proteins).”

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S155041311400062X

When the media found out about this it was all over the papers and internet news sites but I already knew animal protein was bad news after watching Forks Over Knives. But some people need an article in a trusted newspaper to convince them over some annoying plant eater trying to convert them (i.e. Me). So here are some links to articles that have highlighted the main points of this new study:

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/high-protein-diet-could-be-as-dangerous-as-smoking-study-1.1713266

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/food-high-protein-diet-increases-mortality-risk-030414#3

There is sooooo much evidence in the world pointing to this that we all overlook! What are the biggest causes of death in the Western world? Cancer, heart disease and stroke! What is the typical Western diet? Meat, dairy, refined sugar, salt and NO FIBRE. It is blatantly obvious. You are what you eat. To get the full low down on this correlation and how you can literally cut your risk factor for these diseases in half (or more) watch the documentary “Forks Over Knives”. Seriously interesting and it could save your life. Actually.

Photo courtesy of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj5usjFQqs0

2. The World Health Organisation protein requirements are actually way lower than what people are eating and far lower than what the protein company marketers are making you think you need. 

You actually only need 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight. The average American (my sources are only American websites but there aren’t many major differences between macro-nutrient ratios in all of the developed countries) eat twice as much protein as they need.

http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/how-can-i-get-enough-protein-the-protein-myth

And that’s only the average person. Imagine how much meat someone on a body building or paleo diet eats.

To see how much meat Irish people were eating check out this survey: https://www.safefood.eu/SafeFood/media/SafeFoodLibrary/Documents/Publications/Research%20Reports/NorthSouthIrelandFoodConsumptionSurveyIrishUniversitiesNutritionAllianceSummaryReport.pdf

However, this was done in 1999, nearly 20 years ago, and you can be sure that people are eating even more protein now due to all the ridiculous marketing.

The bottom line here is we are eating too much meat and it is dangerous as f**k.

3. Kidney stones. 

This is the surface of a kidney stone under a microscope.

Photo courtesy of: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surface_of_a_kidney_stone_with_tetragonal_crystals_of_Weddellite_(calcium_oxalate_dihydrate)._REM_21.jpg

Can you imagine that having to pass through your urinary tract? High meat diets increase your risk of developing kidney stones, whereas a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables reduces the risk. Dr. Gregor has a few videos on this topic and can explain it for you a lot better than I can: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-prevent-kidney-stones-with-diet/

4. Heart disease. 

Photo courtesy of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronary_artery_disease

Do people know about this one yet? Again this is one of the main topics in the documentary “Forks Over Knives”. Basically the more meat you eat the more likely you are to get heart disease. Think about it, meat is laden with cholesterol and saturated fat, even if you trim off the fat! It’s still there in through the flesh.

Animal protein is the only dietary source of cholesterol too and cholesterol is NOT HEALTHY.

But regardless of the fat content of meat the protein is still linked to heart disease, so that’s two major components of meat that contribute to heart disease. Again watch this video for the facts broken down: http://nutritionfacts.org/video/protein-and-heart-disease/

http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/how-can-i-get-enough-protein-the-protein-myth

5. Excess needs to be excreted.

I already mentioned in another point that we are eating way more protein than we need, but aside from the fact that we are obsessing over it for no reason and it’s a waste of time, there are actual health consequences to this excess. The body only uses what it needs to repair the muscles and any excess obviously has to be dealt with and eliminated. This process is very damaging to the kidneys who are under strain from trying to get rid of all this extra protein. Here’s what the Physician’s Committee for Responsable Medicine say about this:

 “When people eat too much protein, it releases nitrogen into the blood or is digested and metabolized. This places a strain on the kidneys, which must expel the waste through the urine. High-protein diets are associated with reduced kidney function. Over time, individuals who consume very large amounts of protein, particularly animal protein, risk permanent loss of kidney function. Harvard researchers reported that high-protein diets were associated with a significant decline in kidney function, based on observations in 1,624 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study. The good news is that the damage was found only in those who already had reduced kidney function at the study’s outset. The bad news is that as many as one in four adults in the United States may already have reduced kidney function, suggesting that most people who have renal problems are unaware of that fact and do not realize that high-protein diets may put them at risk for further deterioration. The kidney-damaging effect was seen only with animal protein. Plant protein had no harmful effect.9
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that high animal-protein intake is in part responsible for the high prevalence of kidney stones in the United States and other developed countries and recommends protein restriction for the prevention of recurrent kidney stones.10"

http://www.pcrm.org/health/diets/vegdiets/how-can-i-get-enough-protein-the-protein-myth

6. It’s a money racket. 

Photo courtesy of: http://www.berserkbarbell.com/2013/07/supplements.html

Think about all the horrible health problems I have just mentioned that are associated with high protein consumption. But why do we all believe that it is the be all the end all? Marketing!

Body builders and protein powder companies and the meat industry have just completely milked the need for protein into something much more than it really is. Think about it, they’re all trying to sell you something! And does it all even work? Most of the big body builders are on steroids as well as over-eating protein so how do you even know if it’s the protein that makes them big and muscly?

Vegan body builders do actually exist and they do not rely on protein powders and shakes. They just eat enough calories and with enough calories they get enough of the nutrients their bodies need. http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/

7. There isn’t even a word for protein deficiency. 

Most people get unbelievably worried if you tell them you don’t eat meat and ask “But where do you get your protein?” As if we are going to be deficient in protein. The only way you can be deficient in protein is if you are actually malnourished…as in starving. It is such a myth that we need to make an effort to get enough protein. Just eat until you’re full ar every meal and you will have enough. There is a website https://cronometer.com/ where you can choose a macronutrient ratio goal and then put in your daily food intake and it will tell you how much fat, protein and carbs your are getting. I aim for 80% carbs, 10% protein and 10% fat and I don’t even eat that many beans and I still get enough protein! Seriously check it out. It’s a really good wa to see what nutrients your getting.

So moral of the story is, if you eat meat your getting too much protein and it’s dangerous. Best thing to do would be to start cutting down, slowly but surely. You’ll ease the pressure on your arteries, kidneys and your whole body. Don’t be afraid of carbs. They are your body’s primary preferred source of fuel. And all foods that are considered “carbs” actually have protein in them too! (again check out chronometer it breaks down each individual food and tells you what’s in it) There is so much more information out there about the dangers of protein but I just wanted to give an easy to read summary of the main issues surrounding the overrated protein.