Let’s rethink health – part ii
Is a high protein and low carb diet the right choice or not?
Even though the body consists mainly of protein, our protein requirements don’t come from protein alone. They come from an interchange between proteins, carbohydrates and fat within our body. That said, plant based proteins are the highest quality proteins. They can be supplied by whole cereal grains and various beans and their by-products.
In terms of food requirements in our daily life, we need one part of protein, for body construction, versus seven parts of carbohydrates, for energy. Consequently, we need much less protein than has lately been publicized by some food theories. A recent study was made to evaluate the effects of a high protein diet.
In the study, 34 post-menopausal, non-diabetic, obese women were divided into three groups — each with a different meal plan.
- The first group of women ate a diet that would maintain their current weight.
- The second group ate a weight loss diet that limited their protein intake to the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For a woman who weighs 154 pounds, that is about 56 grams of protein.
- The third group also ate a weight loss diet, but increased their protein intake. They ate 1.2 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight. For a 154 pound women, that would be 84 grams of protein.