Protein: the necessary evil?

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  • emilyGPK
    emilyGPK Posts: 83 Member
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    Even if you believe the 'meat is killing you' hype, and think it applies to moderate intake, it is not the protein that is the issue
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
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    This page pretty much covers it when it comes to protein: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/

    Best source of science-based information that fights to be non-partisan in any way: Harvard School of Public Health's NutritionSource. They even talk about their internal arguments among scientists that help them decide what is the best information to put on the site.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/
  • StevenGarrigus
    StevenGarrigus Posts: 234 Member
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    I don't put much stock into these fads or questionable statistics that skew the information in whatever direction they see fit. I don't know if it is any help to you, but what I do is avoid (as much as possible) processed foods, anything with aspartame and any excess over my daily needs (proteins, sugars, carbs).
  • philwrightfitness
    philwrightfitness Posts: 122
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    Moderation in everything including moderation, all the sources you cite are ok, I would avoid soy , in large quantities, because of the oestrogen issue , a few portions of red meat are fine but I would stick to organic and grass fed (because it is higher in cla)
  • tquill
    tquill Posts: 300 Member
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    Let's be clear

    Animal protein is bad because it contains hormones and anti-biotics.

    Soy products are high in protein but are bad when eaten in excessive amounts.

    Gluten and by association wheat is of the devil because it has been Genetically Modified. Think about it, how many celiacs did you know 20 years ago?

    Farm raised seafood is raised in fresh water (unnatural). It is fed corn, wheat and they eat their own poop!. Imagine the bacteria. Read the ingredients on a can of farm raised salmon and you will find "added color"! Wild Seafood is the only sea food you should eat. Wild seafood lives in salt water which has antibacterial and preserving properties when applied in abundance to foods. Salt water deters the reproduction of many microorganisms.

    Also, by the RDA's own guidelines, a male needs only 56 grams of protein per day, a woman needs only 46!

    Now you have the facts!

    Facepalm.jpg
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
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    What I believe, is there are no perfect foods. Foods that are great in some ways, are also potentially bad in other ways. The way you deal with that, in my opinion, is you eat a balanced diet. Eat some meat, eat some fish, eat some dairy, eat some greens, eat some fruit, eat some non-starchy veg, eat some starchy veg, eat some grains. Your body is an ecosystem like any other, and needs a variety of things, at least that's the way I see it. Even alcohol for example is shown to have positive benefits in moderate doses! :-)
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    You're making New Year plans in early October???

    :huh:

    I'm apparently doing it wrong.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
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    Protein is the Debil, Bobby.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
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    There certainly is a lot of conflicting information out there. You really have to do your best to consider the source of your information. If they cite studies, go read the studies yourself. Be critical of the study methodologies and the conclusions based on the evidence. Is it controlled and peer reviewed? Were the studies done on human subjects?

    It gets really dicey out there because you'll have one study that the media or someone will pick up on and exploit or exaggerate what it really concludes, if anything. So then you are interpreting an interpretation (the article) of an interpretation (the study) of a snapshot (the data) of reality. No easy answers.

    Over time we can get a better sense of the reality of the situation because there will be many studies done and there will be some kind of consensus among the gathered data.

    So about the protein, I think most of the things you brought up are overhyped paranoia thanks to sensational reporting/interpretation and general stupidity when it comes to allowing ourselves to be swung about by the "latest piece of research." Go for a variety of sources and aim for complete protein (all the essential amino acids) whether that is by complete sources or complimenting. Keep in mind there is also something to be said for the "quality" of a protein source. Also keep in mind that if you really want to go vegetarian, it will be much more difficult, and if you go vegan, it will be much, much, much more difficult, spelled s-u-p-p-l-e-m-e-n-t.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    Here is the thing that people fail to understand about nutrition.

    A healthy diet is comprised of a variety of foods, as well as a variety of proteins. Too much of anything can tip the balance of a well-balanced diet and have detrimental effects.

    Vegans generally aren't vegan for the sake of health benefits. And it is extremely difficult to maximize the benefit of your strength program without sufficient protein.

    You're going to have to decide which regimen is more beneficial, the omission of animal protein (unbalancing your diet) or maximizing your strength potential.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Bump for later reading.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Let's be clear

    Animal protein is bad because it contains hormones and anti-biotics.

    Soy products are high in protein but are bad when eaten in excessive amounts.

    Gluten and by association wheat is of the devil because it has been Genetically Modified. Think about it, how many celiacs did you know 20 years ago?

    Farm raised seafood is raised in fresh water (unnatural). It is fed corn, wheat and they eat their own poop!. Imagine the bacteria. Read the ingredients on a can of farm raised salmon and you will find "added color"! Wild Seafood is the only sea food you should eat. Wild seafood lives in salt water which has antibacterial and preserving properties when applied in abundance to foods. Salt water deters the reproduction of many microorganisms.

    Also, by the RDA's own guidelines, a male needs only 56 grams of protein per day, a woman needs only 46!

    Now you have the facts!
    Celiac disease was first described about 2500 years ago. So, did modern scientists travel back to ancient Greece to stick their genetically modified wheat into the food supply to cause celiacs back then?
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Double post
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Let's be clear

    Animal protein is bad because it contains hormones and anti-biotics.

    Soy products are high in protein but are bad when eaten in excessive amounts.

    Gluten and by association wheat is of the devil because it has been Genetically Modified. Think about it, how many celiacs did you know 20 years ago?

    Farm raised seafood is raised in fresh water (unnatural). It is fed corn, wheat and they eat their own poop!. Imagine the bacteria. Read the ingredients on a can of farm raised salmon and you will find "added color"! Wild Seafood is the only sea food you should eat. Wild seafood lives in salt water which has antibacterial and preserving properties when applied in abundance to foods. Salt water deters the reproduction of many microorganisms.

    Also, by the RDA's own guidelines, a male needs only 56 grams of protein per day, a woman needs only 46!

    Now you have the facts!
    Celiac disease was first described about 2500 years ago. So, did modern scientists travel back to ancient Greece to stick their genetically modified wheat into the food supply to cause celiacs back then?

    Not at all. It was the aliens. You know they have a monopoly on time travel technology.

    I wonder if this person realizes that many species of 'wild seafood' eats its own poop or the poop of other critters?
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,565 Member
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    In the grand scale of things it's not any 1 nutrient causing problems in anyone life, but a culmination of many things given time to manifest.

    I'll eat all the beef before the soy.

    Search "Protein examine.com"
    Follow what Dr. Spencer Nadolski says.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
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    You can go round and round in circles on which particular foods/nutrients are good/bad and get nowhere, or you can just eat balanced, varied diet with consumption appropriate to activity levels.


    tumblr_m0unyyvNxI1qcmrkno1_1280.jpg
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,565 Member
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    But wouldn't you rather embrace woo and have anxiety over food? That's more exciting! Bring on the Food Babe and Mercolol.
  • SmokinJoe77
    SmokinJoe77 Posts: 14 Member
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    So, this thread has made my point...it gets heated really quick on both sides of the fence. Good conversation, thanks everyone. I do need to seriously look at my protein intake, but think I'll do as many suggested and go at it from the diversity approach. Fish, chicken, pork, tofu, seitan, lentils, and whatever else I can find to make my plate not boring.
  • xmichaelyx
    xmichaelyx Posts: 883 Member
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    Believe science. Learn to read scientific literature, and it's very easy to weed out the kooks, snake-oil salesmen, and axe-grinders.

    Also, a little common sense goes a long way.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
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    I agree that the information out there can be a bit overwhelming, but I think it's all about moderation. I've debated veganism, but ultimately decided that I'd rather continue to get some of my protein from organic eggs and chicken and wild fish. Although I'm considering limiting my soy intake because of hormone issues, I don't think you have much to worry about because I haven't heard of phytoestrogens having a significant impact on men's health. Also, if you don't have Celiac disease or a sensitivity or health issue that makes seitan a bad choice for you, I recommend you include that in moderation as well. In trying to limit my intake of animal proteins, I think the best strategy is to strive to get protein everywhere you can and making high-protein choices throughout the day, including snacks.

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