At Foodstream we want to go beyond the headlines to examine the topics important to our members and fulfill our mission of being the intelligence layer of food security. This week we examine some of the current ideas important in nutrition and diet.
With the recent release of the updated federal nutrition guidelines, there has been some controversy about the recommendation to increase protein consumption in healthy diets. Critics have said that there is no need for extra protein in the diets of the average healthy person. Beyond the specifics of the macro nutrient requirements, detractors claim that the increased protein recommendations are a ploy to promote more meat and dairy products. Where did this controversy come from and why has protein intake become a focal point in the debate around healthy diets?
The Biology of Protein in Human Function
Proteins are strands of amino acids that are found in plants and animals that we eat. According to the Cleveland clinic some the important functions of proteins in the body are:
- Help cells in your body “read” your genes and use that information to build new cells and molecules, including new proteins (yes, that’s right: Proteins indeed help create other proteins)
- Provide structure to cells and tissues throughout your body
- Attach to invaders, like bacteria and viruses, to clear them from your body
- Break down nutrients in the foods you eat — including fats, proteins and carbohydrates — into forms your body can use (this might be another surprise: Some proteins, called enzymes, break down other proteins!)
- Send chemical signals and carry information from cell to cell
- Speed up (catalyze) chemical reactions within cells, which helps create the energy your body needs to function
- Serve as channels (like little doorways) in a cell’s outer membrane that allow substances to pass in or out of the cell
- Transport small molecules throughout your body (for example, a protein in your blood called hemoglobin is like a special parcel service that carries oxygen to all your body’s tissues)
Protein Sources
Protein in food can come from plants and animals. Animal based foods like meat and dairy are high in protein and are complete amino acids. This means they come with all of the amino acids in protein the body needs to function. Some plant materials like seeds, nuts, legumes and whole grains also contain protein, but they are considered incomplete proteins because they do not contain all nine amino acids needed by the body.
New Recommendations for Protein in Diets and the Controversy
Now that we understand what food proteins are and why they are important, let’s look at the important part, how it relates to diet. The latest guidelines released by the USDA suggest that a person consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. The guidelines recommend getting protein at every meal from plant and animal foods. The new amount of protein recommended consumed daily is twice the previously recommended amount. The rationale for the increased amount of protein recommended is to support a healthy active lifestyle, prevent age-related muscle dysfunction and as a way to increase satiety (the feeling of fullness) to help people eat less. This is in conjunction with the suggestion to eat more foods that contain both high protein and high fat like meat, poultry, seafood and full-fat dairy products.
This departure from the previous recommendations to eat less animal products and foods high in saturated fats, has been met with opposition from nutritionists, scientists and public health officials. As previously mentioned in our recent reporting on the new guidelines, increased consumption of foods high in saturated fats, like meat and dairy products, are linked to increased cholesterol levels, heart disease, certain types of cancers, and are also high in calories. Consuming more calories can lead to obesity and further diet related health problems.
Marion Nestle, a professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, points out that:
“If you increase the amount of protein, meat, and full-fat dairy in your diet, you will not be able to keep your saturated fat intake below 10% of calories, and will have a harder time maintaining calorie balance”.
Politics of Protein
At the heart of the debate around the new recommendations is the consumption of more animal products. Beyond the debate of the nutritional benefits of consuming more animal protein, there are political, economic and environmental factors involved in the controversy. Commercial meat production uses a lot of land and water, contributes significantly to greenhouse emissions and negatively impacts local environments. The negative environmental impacts combined with the limited scientific basis for the health benefits of increased consumption of animal products has raised questions about the motivations for the sudden call for more consumption of animal products.
Upon the release of the new guidelines, Secretary of Agriculture Rollins said : “At long last, we are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers, and companies that grow and produce real food. Farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of the solution, and that means more protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains on American dinner tables.”
The focus on the ranchers in her statement is not a comment on the health benefits, but a political one. Additionally, The New York Times reported that five of the ten experts on the new guidelines review panel had financial ties to the beef, pork, or dairy industries. Simply put, detractors argue that the economic considerations for the meat industry were one of the main motivations for the new changes. Similarly, the marketing of high protein products has become ubiquitous. High protein foods and foods that have added protein are marketed as having health benefits to people concerned with exercise and fitness, and the median consumer alike. The increased protein products are often a value-added product financially for food producers. Which means that these products make more profit than the standard version of the product and could be seen as a motivating factor for the call for more protein in diets.
Let us know what you think. Should we eat more animal protein as part of a healthy diet or is the call for more protein politically and economically motivated?
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