Mrdancer
Wed, Oct-23-02, 23:57
From MSNBC news..
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http://www.msnbc.com/news/824375.asp?cp1=1
Experts ping-pong on protein advice By Linda Carroll MSNBC
CONTRIBUTOR
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 22 - For years diet doctors have criticized
Americans for yo-yo dieting. But looking at the protein advice
given by nutrition specialists over the past year or two, it
seems instead that it's the experts who've been bouncing back
and forth with no clear advice for confused consumers.
AT ONE TIME or another, protein, carbohydrates and fats
have all been vilified. These days, when you sit down to a
meal it seems as if you're facing a traitor in every bite.
A prime example of recommendation flip-flopping is the
experts' advice on protein. Back in the 1960s, Americans
were told they would be healthy if they ate lots of meat.
But over the next two decades, health experts began to
promote high-carbohydrate diets and to warn Americans
against eating too much protein. When the
low-carbohydrate, high-protein Atkins' diet first came out
30 years ago, and again after its recent resurgence in
popularity, mainstream experts came out strongly against
it: protein - along with fat - is what is killing
Americans, they intoned. In fact, in 2000, the American
Heart Association published several statements critiquing
the regimen. The association insisted that there was no
evidence showing that high-protein meals could lead to
weight loss and they might even hurt the dieter's kidneys
and rob strength from the bones. A year later, the heart
association backed off these statements a bit and simply
argued that weight loss seen by those following the
protein gurus was simply "fluid loss." And still they
warned against deviations from the USDA' s Food Pyramid.
NEW PROTEIN RANGES But the tide seems to be turning yet again.
The latest nutrition guidelines seem to reflect confusion even
among the experts. No longer are there hard and fast numbers
for the percentages of major food groups. Now protein can
range from 10 percent to 35 percent of daily intake. At the
annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association this week,
nutritionists basically admitted that they really don't know
how much protein Americans need. And several new studies have
shown that diets that have moderately high levels of protein
can lead to weight loss that targets fat and spares muscle,
said Donald Layman, a professor in the department of food
science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign. While all low-calorie diets lead to weight
loss, recent research has shown that not all calories are
created equal, Layman said at the meeting. For example, one
new study looked at two groups of dieters: one with a
high-protein regimen - 125 grams of protein and 171 grams of
carbs - and one with a high-carbohydrate regimen - 68 grams of
protein and 246 grams of carbs. Both groups were also required
to exercise. At the end of four months, people who ate more
protein lost more weight - 22 pounds versus 15 pounds.
Further, people on the high-protein diet had lost more fat and
less muscle than the group on the high-carb diet. Another
important finding: higher levels of protein may also help
dieters stick with their plans. Studies have shown that
protein, more than carbohydrates or fat, leads to feelings of
fullness and satiety, said Richard Mattes, a professor of
foods and nutrition at Purdue University. People given a
high-protein breakfast feel full longer than those who eat a
carbohydrate-rich breakfast, Mattes said. Mattes also
cautioned that the form of protein consumed makes a
difference. Solid protein is satisfying. Protein in liquid
form is not.
DIETING RECOMMENDATIONS Ultimately, the percentage of protein
you need will depend on whether you are dieting or not, said
Cathy Nonas, of the New York Obesity Research Center in New
York City. "If you're on a 1,200 calorie a day diet and want
to lose weight and you're only eating 10 percent protein,
you're not getting enough protein to support lean tissue.
Even 20 percent isn't enough to support lean tissue. Studies
have shown that you need to get at least 76 grams of protein,
so that means you have to go to the upper ranges of the
protein recommendations for a 1,200 calorie diet." But Nonas
and the other experts stopped short of recommending the very
high levels of protein suggested by eating plans like the
Atkins' diet because these plans so drastically cut
carbohydrates - the initial phase of the Atkins' diet limits
carbohydrates to 20 grams a day. That's because carbohydrates
are the major source of fiber in the diet. Just cutting
carbohydrates back to 50 percent of your diet would be
enough, Nonas said, and that would still allow for enough
carbs to be within the range recommended by the ADA. "You can
increase lean protein and decrease carbohydrates and still
have a really healthy mix," she said.
Linda Carroll is a freelance reporter based in New
Jersey. Her work has appeared in The New York Times,
Health and Smart Money.
----
http://www.msnbc.com/news/824375.asp?cp1=1
Experts ping-pong on protein advice By Linda Carroll MSNBC
CONTRIBUTOR
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 22 - For years diet doctors have criticized
Americans for yo-yo dieting. But looking at the protein advice
given by nutrition specialists over the past year or two, it
seems instead that it's the experts who've been bouncing back
and forth with no clear advice for confused consumers.
AT ONE TIME or another, protein, carbohydrates and fats
have all been vilified. These days, when you sit down to a
meal it seems as if you're facing a traitor in every bite.
A prime example of recommendation flip-flopping is the
experts' advice on protein. Back in the 1960s, Americans
were told they would be healthy if they ate lots of meat.
But over the next two decades, health experts began to
promote high-carbohydrate diets and to warn Americans
against eating too much protein. When the
low-carbohydrate, high-protein Atkins' diet first came out
30 years ago, and again after its recent resurgence in
popularity, mainstream experts came out strongly against
it: protein - along with fat - is what is killing
Americans, they intoned. In fact, in 2000, the American
Heart Association published several statements critiquing
the regimen. The association insisted that there was no
evidence showing that high-protein meals could lead to
weight loss and they might even hurt the dieter's kidneys
and rob strength from the bones. A year later, the heart
association backed off these statements a bit and simply
argued that weight loss seen by those following the
protein gurus was simply "fluid loss." And still they
warned against deviations from the USDA' s Food Pyramid.
NEW PROTEIN RANGES But the tide seems to be turning yet again.
The latest nutrition guidelines seem to reflect confusion even
among the experts. No longer are there hard and fast numbers
for the percentages of major food groups. Now protein can
range from 10 percent to 35 percent of daily intake. At the
annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association this week,
nutritionists basically admitted that they really don't know
how much protein Americans need. And several new studies have
shown that diets that have moderately high levels of protein
can lead to weight loss that targets fat and spares muscle,
said Donald Layman, a professor in the department of food
science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign. While all low-calorie diets lead to weight
loss, recent research has shown that not all calories are
created equal, Layman said at the meeting. For example, one
new study looked at two groups of dieters: one with a
high-protein regimen - 125 grams of protein and 171 grams of
carbs - and one with a high-carbohydrate regimen - 68 grams of
protein and 246 grams of carbs. Both groups were also required
to exercise. At the end of four months, people who ate more
protein lost more weight - 22 pounds versus 15 pounds.
Further, people on the high-protein diet had lost more fat and
less muscle than the group on the high-carb diet. Another
important finding: higher levels of protein may also help
dieters stick with their plans. Studies have shown that
protein, more than carbohydrates or fat, leads to feelings of
fullness and satiety, said Richard Mattes, a professor of
foods and nutrition at Purdue University. People given a
high-protein breakfast feel full longer than those who eat a
carbohydrate-rich breakfast, Mattes said. Mattes also
cautioned that the form of protein consumed makes a
difference. Solid protein is satisfying. Protein in liquid
form is not.
DIETING RECOMMENDATIONS Ultimately, the percentage of protein
you need will depend on whether you are dieting or not, said
Cathy Nonas, of the New York Obesity Research Center in New
York City. "If you're on a 1,200 calorie a day diet and want
to lose weight and you're only eating 10 percent protein,
you're not getting enough protein to support lean tissue.
Even 20 percent isn't enough to support lean tissue. Studies
have shown that you need to get at least 76 grams of protein,
so that means you have to go to the upper ranges of the
protein recommendations for a 1,200 calorie diet." But Nonas
and the other experts stopped short of recommending the very
high levels of protein suggested by eating plans like the
Atkins' diet because these plans so drastically cut
carbohydrates - the initial phase of the Atkins' diet limits
carbohydrates to 20 grams a day. That's because carbohydrates
are the major source of fiber in the diet. Just cutting
carbohydrates back to 50 percent of your diet would be
enough, Nonas said, and that would still allow for enough
carbs to be within the range recommended by the ADA. "You can
increase lean protein and decrease carbohydrates and still
have a really healthy mix," she said.
Linda Carroll is a freelance reporter based in New
Jersey. Her work has appeared in The New York Times,
Health and Smart Money.