If Protein is the answer,

what’s the question?

Question #1Question #1What is protein?

??

From the Greek wordFrom the Greek word

ProteiosProteiosmeaning

of prime importance

They are chemical substancesThey are chemical substances

• Nitrogen

• Carbon

• Hydrogen

• Oxygen

• Sulfur

These

elements

form amino acids which are

the building blocks of protein.

There are approximately 23 different amino acids

known to man.Each protein molecule will be made up of hundreds of these amino acid

building blocks.

Question #2Question #2

Where does protein come from?

C arbon dioxide

Air

N itrogen W ater

Earth

Essential/N on-essential

Protein

Hum an Prote in

E ssentia l /Non-essentia l

E a ten by m an

Hum an Prote in

E ssentia l /Non-essentia l

E a ten by m an

A nim a l Prote in

E ssentia l /Non-essentia l

E a ten by anim a l

A nim a l Prote in

E ssentia l /Non-essentia l

E a ten by anim a ls

Plant Prote ins

A m ino A c idsE ssentia l /Non-essentia l

Combinationcab in at

ton bin

nation comb bat

mob tin cat can boot

miniontan

Fortificationfitcarton

factionfictionnation

fatfact

orationraftratfar

rootraintorn

Essentialsenttanlenttietailsailsaltletlasslatelean

tasseltenteal

lessen

Question #3Question #3

What is protein used for?

The Basic Building BlocksThe Basic Building Blocks

• Growth• Repair• Maintenance• Synthesis

– enzymes

– hormones

– antibodies

Question #4Question #4

How much protein do we need?

It won’t hold still• 1881 - Professor Carl von Voit 120 gm/d • 1904 - Dr. Russell Crittenden 50 gm/d• 1914 - Dr. Mikkel Hindhede 40 gm/d• 1920 - Henry Sherman 45 gm/d• 1941 - National Research Council 70 gm/d• 1946 - Dr. Mark Hegsted 32 gm/d• 1955 - Dr. William Rose 22 gm/d*• 1959 - Dr. Mark Hegsted 20 gm/d• 1968 - National Research Council 65 gm/d• 1973 - National Research Council 56 gm/d

Question #5Question #5

If a little is good, isn’t more even better?

Study done during WWIIStudy done during WWII

• Two month study

• 24 young men in

three groups

• Three different

diets

Group #1Group #1• 50 grams protein a day

– 45 grams from cereals, potatoes, vegetables, fruits

– 5 grams from animals

No member suffered any loss

of vigor

Group #3Group #3• 160 grams protein

a day

– Mostly from animal sources

No benefit could be seen in this group.

Question #6Question #6

Don’t we need to have complete proteins?

Sweet PotatoSweet Potato

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Sweet Potato Recommended

Isol

Leuc

Lys

Meth

Phen

Thre

Trp

Val

Brown RiceBrown Rice

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Brown Rice Recommended

Isol

Leuc

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Phen

Thre

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Val

Rolled OatsRolled Oats

0

12

34

5

67

8

910

Rolled Oats Recommended

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Val

White BeansWhite Beans

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

White Beans Recommended

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Leuc

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Thre

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Val

BroccoliBroccoli

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Broccoli Recommended

Isol

Leuc

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Meth

Phen

Thre

Trp

Val

• SourcesPlant

• Nuts• Legumes• Protein derivatives

Animal• Downside of animal proteins

• Servings - grams needed daily

Virusescancermultiple sclerosisunknown

Bacteria Diabetogenic factors Adverse eye factors Metabolic burden for kidneys and liver

Many risks associated with Many risks associated with consuming too much protein.consuming too much protein.

• Animal protein often high in fat• Fat contributes to obesity• High meat eating linked to colon cancer• The more protein consumed, the less

fruits, vegetables, grains• High protein diets promote calcium

excretion• Excessive protein may cause fluid

imbalances

If cooks pretended that in handling raw meat, they were handling a lump of raw sewage in a food environment, and took all the

necessary precautions, then that would be just about adequate.

Four out of every five chickens sold in a supermarket are infected with salmonella.

Bon appetite!

• Therapeutic use - Fix the one sick cow. (Human toxic effect.)

• Prophylactic use - Protect the whole herd.

• Growth promotion - Part of the feed. (Human hypersensitivity effect.)

Resistance&

Cross-resistanceLeads to a reservoir of resistance

There is a large reservoir of E. Coli in calves and pigs which are very resistant and that

resistance can be “donated” to more dangerous organisms such as salmonellae.

• About 25% of human salmonella infections are now resistant to drug therapy.

• Half the antibiotics now produced are fed to food animals (disease prevention and growth promotion.)

Chickens are now being fed their own excrement to about 50% of their total

intake of food, its very economical. But it means that contaminants, such as drugs, hormones, pesticides and antibiotics are

getting more and more concentrated each time they go through.

• Cases of allergy, including...– Asthma (3X more common in youth today

than in their parent’s day.)– Eczema (6X more common today.)

• Have increased alarmingly over the past few decades

• Use of antibiotics in food animals has also increased greatly.