Meat and cheese may be as bad for you as smoking

“Crucially, the researchers found that plant-based proteins, such as those from beans, did not seem to have the same mortality effects as animal proteins. Rates of cancer and death also did not seem to be affected by controlling for carbohydrate or fat consumption, suggesting that animal protein is the main culprit.”

 

That chicken wing you’re eating could be as deadly as a cigarette. In a new study that tracked a large sample of adults for nearly two decades, researchers have found that eating a diet rich in animal proteins during middle age makes you four times more likely to die of cancer than someone with a low-protein diet — a mortality risk factor comparable to smoking.

“There’s a misconception that because we all eat, understanding nutrition is simple. But the question is not whether a certain diet allows you to do well for three days, but can it help you survive to be 100?” said corresponding author Valter Longo, the Edna M. Jones Professor of Biogerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology and director of the USC Longevity Institute.

Not only is excessive protein consumption linked to a dramatic rise in cancer mortality, but middle-aged people who eat lots of proteins from animal sources — including meat, milk and cheese — are also more susceptible to early death in general, reveals the study to be published March 4 in Cell Metabolism. Protein-lovers were 74 percent more likely to die of any cause within the study period than their more low-protein counterparts. They were also several times more likely to die of DIABETES.

But how much protein we should eat has long been a controversial topic — muddled by the popularity of protein-heavy DIETS such as Paleo and Atkins. Before this study, researchers had never shown a definitive correlation between high protein consumption and mortality risk.

Rather than look at adulthood as one monolithic phase of life, as other researchers have done, the latest study considers how biology changes as we age, and how decisions in middle life may play out across the human lifespan.

In other words, what’s good for you at one age may be damaging at another. Protein controls the growth hormone IGF-I, which helps our bodies grow but has been linked to cancer susceptibility. Levels of IGF-I drop off dramatically after age 65, leading to potential frailty and muscle loss. The study shows that while high protein intake during middle age is very harmful, it is protective for older adults: those over 65 who ate a moderate- or HIGH-PROTEIN diet were less susceptible to disease.

The latest paper draws from Longo’s past research on IGF-I, including on an Ecuadorian cohort that seemed to have little cancer or DIABETES susceptibility because of a genetic mutation that lowered levels of IGF-I; the members of the cohort were all less than five-feet tall.

“The research shows that a low-protein diet in middle age is useful for preventing cancer and overall mortality, through a process that involves regulating IGF-I and possibly insulin levels,” said co-author Eileen Crimmins, the AARP Chair in Gerontology at USC. “However, we also propose that at older ages, it may be important to avoid a low-protein diet to allow the maintenance of healthy weight and protection from frailty.”

Crucially, the researchers found that plant-based proteins, such as those from beans, did not seem to have the same mortality effects as animal proteins. Rates of cancer and death also did not seem to be affected by controlling for carbohydrate or fat consumption, suggesting that animal protein is the main culprit.

“The majority of Americans are eating about twice as much proteins as they should, and it seems that the best change would be to lower the daily intake of all proteins but especially animal-derived proteins,” Longo said. “But don’t get extreme in cutting out protein; you can go from protected to malnourished very quickly.”

Longo’s findings support recommendations from several leading health agencies to consume about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day in middle age. For example, a 130-pound person should eat about 45-50 grams of protein a day, with preference for those derived from plants such as legumes, Longo explains.

The researchers define a “HIGH-PROTEIN” diet as deriving at least 20 percent of CALORIES from protein, including both plant-based and animal-based protein. A “moderate” protein diet includes 10-19 percent of calories from protein, and a “low-protein” diet includes less than 10 percent protein.

Even moderate amounts of protein had detrimental effects during middle age, the researchers found. Across all 6,318 adults over the age of 50 in the study, average protein intake was about 16 percent of total daily calories with about two-thirds from animal protein — corresponding to data about national protein consumption. The study sample was representative across ethnicity, education and health background.

People who ate a moderate amount of protein were still three times more likely to die of cancer than those who ate a low-protein DIET in middle age, the study shows. Overall, even the small change of decreasing protein intake from moderate levels to low levels reduced likelihood of early death by 21 percent.

For a randomly selected smaller portion of the sample – 2,253 people – levels of the growth hormone IGF-I were recorded directly. The results show that for every 10 ng/ml increase in IGF-I, those on a HIGH-PROTEIN diet were 9 percent more likely to die from cancer than those on a low-protein diet, in line with past research associating IGF-I levels to cancer risk.

The researchers also extended their findings about HIGH-PROTEIN diets and mortality risk, looking at causality in mice and cellular models. In a study of tumor rates and progression among mice, the researchers show lower cancer incidence and 45 percent smaller average tumor size among mice on a low-protein diet than those on a high-protein diet by the end of the two-month experiment.

“Almost everyone is going to have a cancer cell or pre-cancer cell in them at some point. The question is: Does it progress?” Longo said. “Turns out one of the major factors in determining if it does is is protein intake.”

 

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304125639.htm

Why (People Still Think) Vegan Food Sucks

As the vegan movement gains momentum, a common perception is that veganism is just another fad diet. The thought of food devoid of texture, flavor, and calories is what many people envision. Even with all the huge advances in vegan meats, cheeses, and desserts, many still have outdated perceptions of vegan food that involves things such as carob and brown rice syrup.

Sadly, the vegan lifestyle tends to get associated with fringe food movements that have nothing to do with veganism, such as “organic,” “gluten-free,” “fat-free,” “raw,” “oil-free,” “non-GMO,” etc. In addition, many of the extreme fad-dieters have also begun to distort perceptions, by lumping “vegan” amongst a myriad of irrational and extreme dietary habits that have nothing to do with veganism.

In reality, veganism is a moral and ethical commitment to refraining from violence and exploitation in all areas, not just diet. Vegans eat a plant-based diet, or a diet that is devoid of animal products, which doesn’t involve the exploitation of other beings. Beyond animal products, there are no other restrictions. Vegans can also indulge in things such as bread, alcohol, and fried foods just like everyone else.

Veganism isn’t just another annoying dietary fad; in fact, it’s well documented that a plant-based diet is nutritionally appropriate and can even benefit human health. The same cannot be said for most other diets that have gained popularity in recent times, but for some reason we tend to continue disregarded a plant-based diet as such.

As a vegan, there’s truly nothing more frustrating than going to a restaurant or an outing and being expected to be satisfied by a salad with oil and vinegar, or a grainy gluten-free cupcake that happens to also be vegan. Just like anyone else, vegans want to enjoy food that’s satisfying. Vegans eat delicious foods like pizza, cheesesteaks, nachos, and doughnuts. There’s no reason to assume that vegan food options should be any less satisfying than any other foods.

So, to the restaurateurs and home chefs out there preparing vegan meals, enough already with the salads and steamed veggies lacking in flavor, protein and calories! Would you be satisfied with a plate of fresh fruit, or pasta and tomato sauce? Of course not. So, why do you expect that vegans should be either?

The only “restriction” to vegan cuisine is the elimination of animal-based products that can be easily replaced with delicious alternatives. Please stop lumping vegan food in with the mulch and leaves that many fad-dieters limit themselves to. It’s not only disappointing to vegans expecting a good meal or dessert, but it continues to perpetuate the myth that vegan food doesn’t taste good!

 

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ed-coffin/why-people-still-think-ve_b_5507392.html?utm_hp_ref=tw