Have you wondered if you are eating enough of it?

The supplement industry, magazines, websites, trainers, and athletes ^(1-2) heavily promote high protein diets. But these popular opinions do not necessarily match up with the recommendations by scientists.

Let’s do some math together.

How much protein do we need?

The current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8g of protein per kg bodyweight per day. ^(2-3) Supposedly, this is “the average daily intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement for nearly all (98%) healthy individuals.”

To make it simple,

your weight (lbs) / 2.2 x 0.8 = how much protein you need a day

For an average American male who weighs 195 lbs ⁽⁴⁾, he needs 71 grams/day. An average American female, who weighs 166 lbs ⁽⁴⁾, needs 60 grams/day.

How much protein do Americans actually consume?

According to a 2015 study, 98 grams for men and 67 grams for women. ⁽⁵⁾

Remember that the average male only needs about 71 g and female 60 g according to our previous calculation.

What about active individuals? Do they need more protein?

This is still a debatable question. There continues to be conflicting recommendations between US Dietary Reference Intakes and the US Dietetic Association. ^(2,3)

Generally 1.2-1.3g/kg/day (instead of 0.8g/kg/day) of protein intake is considered enough for athletes and individuals with moderate physical activity level. ^(6,7)

If we do a quick calculation, that is 106 grams for a male athlete with an average weight of 195 lbs. 106 grams is not too far off from the 98 grams average American males are consuming already.

For female it is a different story. 90 grams is quite a bit more than 67grams, which is what average American women consume a day. The good news is that the difference is nothing an omelet cannot make up for.

So if you are a woman who exercises regularly, you may want to pay a bit more attention to your protein intake.

Keep in mind that protein does not only come from meat and beans. A cup of cooked oatmeal contains 6g of protein. A bagel contains 10g. One cup of cooked white rice contains over 4g. My point is, you are probably eating than you thought you were.

Bottom line

• Extra protein is converted to fat. ⁽⁸⁾
• Too much protein is associated with ⁽¹⁾

1. bone loss
2. kidney disorders
3. cancer
4. liver disorders
5. coronary artery disease

• Plant-based protein may reduce cardiovascular disease risk ⁽⁹⁾
• As of now, there is no reasonable scientific data supporting a high protein diet due to potential disease risks ⁽¹⁾

References:

1. Delimaris I. Adverse effects associated with protein intake above the recommended dietary allowance for adults. ISRN Nutr. 2013;2013:126929.
2. Phillips SM, Moore Dr, Tang Je. A critical examination of dietary protein requrements, benefits, and excesses in athletes. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2007 Aug;17 Suppl:S58-76.
3. Phillips SM. Dietary protein requirements and adaptive advantages in athletes. Br J Nutr. 2012 Aug;108 Suppl 2:S158-67.
4. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/body-measurements.htm
5. Pasiakos SM, Agarwal S, Lieberman HR, Fulgoni V. Sources and amounts of animal, dairy and plant protein intake of US adults in 2007-2010. Nutrients. 2015 Aug;7(8):7058-7069.
6. Poortmans JR, Carpentier A, Pereira-Lancha LO, Lancha Jr A. Protein turnover, amino acid requirements and recommendations for athletes and active populations. Braz J Med Biol Res. 2012 Oct;45(10):875-90.
7. Wu G. Dietary protein intake and human health. Food Funct. 2016 Mar;7(3):1251-65.
8. Pesta DH, Samuel VT. A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats. Nutr Metab. 2014;11:53.
9. Richter CK, Skulas-Ray AC, Champagne CM, Kris-Etherton PM. Plant protein and animal proteins: do they differentially affect cardiovascular diesese risk? Adv Nutr. 2015 Nov 13;6(6):712-28.

About the Author

Dr. Lily Semrow is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist who focuses on Neuro-Structural Correction. She has a B.S. in Nutrition and a doctorate in Chiropractic. She has a passion for serving families, and helping people who could not get better through traditional and alternative means.

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The post How much protein in your diet is enough? appeared first on Holland, MI Chiropractors | Brain and Body Chiropractic.

Most of those who have gout know that they need to be watching their diet. But when I ask these patients what kind of diet they are on, the answers are all over the place. Most of them seem uncertain what foods are good for them, and what foods they should avoid.

I am going to make a list of the most current dietary guidelines. If you or your loved ones have gout, check your/their diet against the list below and see how you can be more effective at managing the condition.

Foods to avoid

1. Red meat

Eating too much red meat causes gout.⁽³⁾ According to a 2016 review, every extra meat portion you eat a day increases your risk of gout by 21%.⁽⁴⁾ And keep in mind that a serving of meat is not a lot.

2. Purine-rich animal protein

This includes organ meat, beef, lamb, pork, and shellfish.⁽¹⁾ We used to think all purine-rich foods need to be avoided, including legumes, beans, and mushrooms, etc. But newer studies have proven, again and again, that purine-rich vegetables do not increase the risk of gout. ^(3-6)

3. Alcohol

The risk of gout increases after just 1-2 standard drinks.⁽⁴⁾ More specifically, beer is the worst. Spirits are better than beer, but worse than wine.⁽¹⁾

4. Soft drinks, fruit juices and beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup ^(1,3-5,7)

Fructose and sweetened beverages are new risk factors for gout we didn’t know about until a few years ago.⁽³⁾ Fructose increases uric acid levels as a byproduct of ATP metabolism. ⁽¹⁾

Foods to eat

1. Vegetables (including purine-rich vegetables), nuts, legumes, fruits (less sugary ones), whole grains ^(5,7)

2. Low-fat dairy products ^{(1, 3,5,7)}

3. Vitamin C supplementation and Coffee

Some studies ^(5,7,8) show that vitamin C and coffee can lower uric acid levels, and lower the risk of gout. However, stronger evidence is needed to validate the association.

Conclusion

If you must have a name to the diet, the Mediterranean diet is recommended for those with gout, as the diet is associated with lower uric acid levels. ^{(4, 9,10)}

Since we are talking about diet for gout, a disease of affluence, I want to share a quote from Colin Campbell, PhD.

“There is no such thing as a special diet for cancer and a different, equally special diet for heart disease. The evidence now amassed from researchers around the world shows that the same diet that is good for the prevention of cancer is also good for the prevention of heart disease, as well as obesity, diabetes, cataracts, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s, cognitive dysfunction, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis and other diseases.”

References:

1. Hainer BL, Matheson E, Wilkes RT. Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of gout. Am Fam Physician. 2014 Dec 15;90(12):831-6.
2. Rees F, Doherty M. Patients with gout can be cured in primary care. Practitioner. 2014 Dec; 258(1777):15-9, 2.
3. Alvarez-Lario B, Alonso-Valdivielso JL. [Hyperuricemia and gout; the role of diet]. Nutr Hosp. 2014 Apr 1;29(4):760-70.
4. Nickolai B, Kiss C. [Nutritional therapy of gout]. Ther Umsch. 2016;73(3):153-8.
5. Torralba KD, De Jesus E, Rachabattula S. The interplay between diet, urate transporters and the risk for gout and hyperuricemia: current and future directions. Int J Rheum Dis. 2012 Dec;15(6):499-506.
6. Teng GG, Pan A, yuan JM, Koh WP. Food Sources of protein and risk of incident gout in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015 Jul;67(7):1933-42.
7. Choi HK. A prescription for lifestyle change in patients with hyperuricemia and gout. Curr Opin Rhaumatol. 2010 Mar;22(2):165-72.
8. Zhang Y, et al. Is coffee consumption associated with a lower risk of hyperuricaemia or gout? A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open. 2016 Jul 8;6(7):e009809.
9. Kontogianni MD, et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet and serum uric acid: the ATTICA study. Scand J Rheumatol. 2012;41(6):442-9.
10. Chrysohoou C, et al. Long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces the prevalence of hyperuricaemia in elderly individuals, without known cardiovascular disease: the Ikaria study. Maturitas. 2011 Sep;70(1):58-64.

About the Author

Dr. Lily Semrow is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist who focuses on Neuro-Structural Correction. She has a B.S. in Nutrition and a doctorate in Chiropractic. She has a passion for serving families, and helping people who could not get better through traditional and alternative means.

Want to keep up with future posts?

The post Gout diet: The Do’s and Don’ts appeared first on Holland, MI Chiropractors | Brain and Body Chiropractic.

Below is an infographic that details the survey.

So…What’s The Deal With Gluten?

Most of gluten’s controversies surround inflammation, autoimmunity, and gut permeability. For those who are not familiar, here is a quick run through.

Gluten is a mixture of proteins in wheat, barley and rye. It contains proteins, including the α-, γ-, ω-gliadins, and low-molecular-weight and high-molecular weight glutenins. These proteins, some more than others, are capable of triggering immune reactions.⁽²⁾ This is the basis of how ingesting gluten can cause inflammation.

To understand the connection between gluten and autoimmunity, we have to introduce a protein called Zonulin. Zonulin is the ONLY key we know to open up doors on the cell wall of our digestive tract. Usually, these doors are shut to keep bad things (toxins, foreign substances) from entering our blood stream. When these doors are open, we have a situation called leaky gut.⁽³⁾When bad things leak into our blood, our immune system attacks. When this happens again and again, our immune system becomes overactive and confused, and sometimes attacks our own tissues, so now we have a situation called autoimmune disease. Infections and gluten are two things that are known to activate Zonulin. ^(4,5) So there is that.

Really, How Big A Problem Is Gluten?

A 2009 study ⁽⁶⁾ took 9,133 frozen blood samples that were collected between 1948 and 1954, and compared them to 12,768 recent samples. They found that immune reactions to gluten has dramatically increasd more than 4-fold in the United States. So yes, gluten is a bigger problem today than 50 years ago.

Many people look at this study as part of the evidence that points to a gluten free diet, which I respectfully disagree.

1. The study shows that increased immune reaction to gluten is a real problem today.
2. The fact that gluten wasn’t a big issue 50 years ago tells me that maybe gluten is not evil. Just saying.
3. The fact that we are reacting to gluten more today tells me that changes in industry food processing and increased reactivity of our immune system are more likely to blame.
4. Our investigation should focus more on how gluten affects different populations. We should ask why certain individuals are more susceptible to the negative effects of gluten.

Put Gluten Into Perspective

Remember Zonulin and how gluten is one of the few known substances to stimulate the release of zonulin and causes leaky gut? You think the discoverer of zonulin, Dr. Alessio Fasano, would be the biggest advocate of a gluten free diet for everyone. Quite the contrary, the man thought the fad component of gluten-free diet is going out of control and his research had been quoted out of context (you can find his interviews and lectures on youtube). He had to write a book called Gluten Freedom to separate the wheat from the chaff (pun intended:)).

1. Our gut microbiome, not gluten, determines our health

We are influenced by TWO genomes—humane genome and microbiome genome. The number of microbial cells vastly outnumbers our own cells. ⁽⁷⁾ It is now known that our gut bacteria directly influences and modulates our own immune system. A Gluten free diet does NOT normalize gut microbial imbalance in celiac patients, which are thought to perpetuate their autoimmunity. ⁽⁸⁾ Instead of asking what’s wrong with gluten, consider what’s wrong with us, or our gut bacteria.

2. Different type of gluten-free diets affect our gut differently

An interesting study ⁽⁹⁾ in 2015 observes metabolic dysfunction and microbial profile changes in celiac children when switched from an African-style gluten-free diet to an Italian-style gluten free diet. We just started to realize that different gluten free diets actually have different effects on the body. Gluten free alone is not a cure.

3. Gluten-free food ≠ healthier products

Many people simply associate gluten-free with healthier food choices, like organic and non-GMO, without knowing that some commonly consumed packaged GF foods are higher in fat and carbohydrates and lower in protein, iron and folate compared with regular products. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Studies consistently show that gluten free products are NOT healthier than those of non-gluten free products, and it is an increasing area of concern. ^(11,12,13)

To Go Gluten Free Or Not To Go Gluten Free

Every major change in our diet carries with it the possibility of unforeseen risks. ⁽¹⁴⁾ Agriculture has fueled the human civilization to become what it is today. I think the majority of us will be ok eating what our ancestors have eaten in the past 10,000 years. Gluten free is not necessary for the general population.

To those who are concerned about the negative effects of gluten, just know that we certainly cannot rid all the toxins in our environments, and human resilience must not be underestimated. Is gluten free diet a fad or a cure? Time will tell.

References:

1. http://www.nsf.org/newsroom/nsf-survey-finds-us-consumers-struggle-to-define-identify-gluten
2. Koning F. Adverse effects of wheat gluten. Ann Nutr Metab. 2015;67(suppl 2):8-14. [PubMed]
3. Lammers KM, Lu R, Brownley J et al. Gliadin induces an increase in intestinal permeability and zonulin release by binding to the chemokine receptor CXCR3. Gastroenterology. 2008 Jul;135(1):194-204. [PubMed]
4. Fasano A. Intestinal permeability and its regulation by Zonulin: diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012 Oct; 10(10):1096-1100. [PubMed]
5. Drago S, El Asmar R, Di Pierro M et al. Gliadin, zonulin and gut permeability: effects on celiac and non-celiac intestinal mucosa and intestinal cell lines. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2006 Apr;41(4):408-19. [PubMed]
6. Rubio-Tapia A, Kyle RA, Kaplan EL et al. Increased prevalence and mortality in undiagnosed celiac disease. Gastroenterology. 2009 Jul;137(1):88-93. [PubMed]
7. Mulle JG, Sharp WG, Cubells JF. The gut microbiome: a new frontier in Autism research. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2013 Feb;15(2):337. [PubMed]
8. Sanz Y. Microbiome and gluten. Ann Nutr Metab. 2015;67(suppl 2):28-41. [PubMed]
9. Ercolini D, Francavilla R, Vannini L et al. From an imbalance to a new imbalance: Italian-style gluten-free diet alters the salivary microbiota and metabolome of African celiac children. Sci Rep. 2015 Dec 18;5:18571. [PubMed]
10. Kulai T, Rashid M. Assessment of nutritional adequacy of packaged gluten-free food products. Can J Diet Pract Res. 2014 Dec;75(4):186-90. [PubMed]
11. Wu JH, Neal B, Trevena H et al. Are gluten-free foods healthier than non-gluten free foods? An evaluation of supermarket products in Australia. Br J Nutr. 2015 Aug 14;114(3):448-54. [PubMed]
12. Missbach B, Schwingshackl L, Billmann A et al. Gluten-free food database: the nutriontla quality and cost of packaged gluten-free foods. Peer J. 2015 Oct 22;3:e1337. [PubMed]
13. Saturni L, Ferretti G, Bacchetti T. The gluten-free diet: safety and nutritional quality. Nutrients. 2010 Jan;2(1):16-34. [PubMed]
14. Nash DT, Slutzky AR. Gluten sensitivity: new epidemic or new myth? Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2014 Oct;27(4):377-378. [PubMed]

About the Author

Dr. Lily Semrow is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist who focuses on Neuro-Structural Correction. She has a B.S. in Nutrition and a doctorate in Chiropractic. She has a passion for serving families, and helping people who could not get better through traditional and alternative means.

Want to keep up with future posts?

The post Should I Go Gluten Free? appeared first on Holland, MI Chiropractors | Brain and Body Chiropractic.

BUT this salad recipe is different. It’s too good not to share. This is my go-to recipe for any potluck.

The dressing is key. I always double the recipe and it fills one of those 16 oz. kombucha glass bottles perfectly. It lasts several weeks too, when refrigerated.

Dressing ingredients:

Sunflower seed butter ¼ cup

Raw apple cider vinegar 1tbsp

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Lemon juice 2 tbsp

Soy sauce 1 tbsp

Maple syrup 3 tbsp

3 minced garlic cloves

1-inch knob of ginger

Salt ¼ tsp

Red pepper flakes ¼ tsp

Water 1/3 cup

Directions: Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

Salad Ingredients:

Kale 1-2 bunches

Yellow onion 1 large

Red bell pepper 1 large

Yellow bell pepper 1 large

Sweet corn 1-2 cups

Sundried tomatoes 1 cup

Garlic clove 1 (diced or sliced)

Avocado oil 1tbsp

 Directions:

1. Cut onion into thin strips. Sauté garlic, onion and sundried tomatoes in avocado oil, until the onion softens.
2. Cut peppers into thin strips.
3. Add pepper and corn to the pan, and sauté everything for another 3-5 minutes.
4. Cut the kale into thin pieces (as shown below). No need to remove stems.
5. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Note: Because of the texture of kale, this salad actually sits very well with dressing in it. I typically mix the dressing in, so I don’t have to bring a separate container for it. It is also a bonus that the leftovers are still tasty after sitting in the fridge for 2-3 days.

To learn more about the great benefits of eating Kale make sure and checkout this awesome article on the 23 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Kale!

About the Author

Dr. Lily Semrow is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist who focuses on Neuro-Structural Correction. She has a B.S. in Nutrition and a doctorate in Chiropractic. She has a passion for serving families, and helping people who could not get better through traditional and alternative means.

Want to keep up with future posts?

The post Recipe: Kale Salad And Thai “Peanut” Dressing appeared first on Holland, MI Chiropractors | Brain and Body Chiropractic.