Protein amount and source
Are we getting enough protein? Too much? Is our source of protein contributing to health?
Getting Ready
Please read the background information below before you start the discussion. Remember that you need to complete one of the options completely but can also discuss parts of the other topic if you choose. Your responses can be to either or both of the topics as well. These are touchy topics for some people so be thoughtful but also have fun! I will recap next week.
Animal Protein vs Plant Protein
How much protein we should eat seems to be a popular topic. Recently you may have noticed a lot of products and advertisements boasting about the high amount of protein something contains. Protein requirements vary depending on the individual, which can lead to a lot of misunderstandings. The AMDR for protein is 10-35% of total kcals, or a minimum of 0.8g/kg body weight (BW). The percent of protein really does not matter (Remember to get kg bodyweight you take your weight in lbs and divide it by 2.2 so 162 lbs divided by 2.2 = 73.6 kg). Recommendations vary based on age, development, disease state, activity level, etc. (see nitrogen balance in the text). The general recommendation for healthy individuals is 0.8g/kg BW and for active individuals a range from 1.2-1.8g/kg BW. For most people, anything over 2 g/kg just gets flushed out with your urine so there is no point in consuming higher amounts. Generally speaking, most adults consume closer to 1.1 g/kg BW of protein, regardless of activity level, and without purposely trying to eat a high protein diet. While most people eat more protein than needed, there are still individuals who are not getting enough total protein or at least enough quality protein. Many people also have no idea how much they are getting or how their overall quality is. There are physical ways of understanding if you are getting enough and some people are in tune with that.
While all of the top diets for our health contain animal products (the Mediterranean, DASH, MIND, Flexitarian) and evidence shows you can have a healthy diet with the addition of some meats, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that eating too much meat (especially red meat and processed meat) can increase your risk of cancer and heart disease. Part of this is due to the type of meat, how the animals are raised (diet, antibiotics, living environment), preparation (dry and charred meat are high in carcinogens), additives (added nitrites and nitrates), level of processing (think most lunch meats, hot dogs, premade meat patties or chicken nuggets, bologna, etc.), and the overall quantity that people consume. Based on this evidence, the push for “Meatless Mondays” or lowering your meat consumption at certain meals or throughout the week has increased. As well, the creation of meatless alternatives has increased. The tricky part with many of these meat alternatives is that they contain many additives and isolates and the cooked soy leghemoglobin they use to produce plant heme (which gives the “bleeding effect” in meatless burgers) has not been tested for long term use and most meat alternative products fit the classification of being ultra-processed which significantly contribute to poor health. Processed and, more so, ultra-processed foods are one of the top reasons for unhealthy weight gain and poor health outcomes related to diet. While it is currently on the FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) list, there is speculation that the negative effects of cooked soy leghemoglobin could be just as bad if not worse than animal heme and without the benefits. Much like what happened when we created trans fat, it ended up being worse for us than saturated fat (oops), and artificial sugars (oops). Only time will tell!
One other piece to this puzzle is the environmental impact. Factory farmed animals and huge farms that mass produce meats are certainly detrimental to the environment (vs small sustainable farms) but the alternative meat products also damage the environment with GMO crops and tillage. The impacts of our food system could easily be a course by itself and we are starting a Sustainable Foods minor and possibly a Food Systems major so clearly, this is a big area to consider.
By Thursday
I am hoping asking questions regarding your OPINION will help spark more of an actual discussion. Here is the catch… we all have opinions on EVERYTHING, but… when we talk about actual science we should base our opinions on science and not random conjecture. When you give your stance, back it up with real research!!! See what resources you can find (without stress) and know that I will reflect on this discussion so we get our questions answered.
Remember it is OK to disagree. Just be respectful and mindful. There is a difference between going through the motions and getting something out of this. Learn from your peers, engage, and think critically!
Choose at Least 2 out of the 3 Options
1. There are risks of consuming levels of protein that are either too high or too low based on actual need (regardless of the source). Do you feel like you have ever (or currently) eat too little or too much protein? Do you notice a difference in how you feel based on your protein intake or the type of protein you consume, if so what or how do you notice? You can talk about what you notice or have discussed with others as well.
2. What is your evidence-based opinion on animal protein vs meatless alternatives (processed plant protein) as it relates to health? Provide a reference (links, lecture, your textbook, articles, etc.).
3. Provide your favorite meatless recipe. Tell us why it is your favorite. Include ingredients and cooking instructions! This can be vegetarian or vegan, simple or complex. You can also share your favorite recipe with meat that can be replaced with a whole plant source of protein. I repeatedly get asked to keep this in because students tend to like recipe sharing so have fun with this!
By Sunday
1. Read your peers’ initial posts.
2. Respond to at least two peers with thoughtful responses with a minimum of 50 words.
3. Responses can be to either or both topics.
