The results of the standard American diet are all around us. A British travel writer writes of walking down the street in New York, observing "a parade of backsides, each one more tremendous than the next." We have epidemics of obesity, heart and artery disease, and diabetes.
I don't eat animals or their secretions, and my arthritis and other illnesses have been put on hold for several decades now. My own experience is not all there is, though. And the quacks are lined up to prey on the desperate.
It's not that I didn't enjoy meat, milk and cheese. On the contrary...no one ate more! I would consume a gallon of milk a week, and formerly lived in New Orleans--the meat capital of the world. One of their famous chefs--Paul Prudhomme--literally got around his kitchen in an electric scooter, he was so obese.
And I'll admit there was a bit of an adjustment when I switched from carniverous eating. Roughly like switching from whole milk to skim milk. Those who have done this know your taste buds change as your consumption changes, too. After about two weeks of drinking skim milk--which initially tasted horrible--it tasted fine, and whole milk tasted odd (like cream!).
After the period of adjustment, however, I found just as much satisfaction in eating a vegan diet as I did eating meat and milk. There are plenty of milk substitues (soy, almond, coconut, cashew, etc.), and other helpful things to make the transition, so not only do I not feel deprived, I'd say I've never eaten better!
So...there may be some bias that creeps into the material below, but it's bias in the good way. Oddly enough I was sick enough to need this change and appreciate the difference it made, but I'm certainly not the only one. See the testimonials of Dr. McDougall's star dieter here. There are some pretty dramatic stories, too.
Or just compare the appearance of the doctors here (click this link if the video below doesn't play). The guys promoting meat ("protein") are all fat. The vegans are all thin and fit.
After a conversation with someone in the medical field--but not a doctor--I looked into what our obsession with protein has cost our health. After our conversaction about diet and diabetes, she said to "do the reading," so here's my attempt to do just that:
Osteoporosis
First, results from Googling: "does protein prevent osteoporosis" Excerpt:
"The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study of 77,761 women, aged 34 to 59
followed for 12 years, found that those who drank three or more glasses
of milk per day had no reduction in the risk of hip or arm fractures
compared to those who drank little or no milk, even after adjustment for
weight, menopausal status, smoking, and alcohol use. In fact, the
fracture rates were slightly, but significantly, higher for those who
consumed this much milk, compared to those who drank little or no milk."
But this says dairy & protein are important (notice: no footnotes)...and it's enough of a "popular" rather than scientific website that the next story is "17 Celebrities You Will Never Guess are Muslim"
This...says animal protein causes lost dietary, rather than skeletal calcium. Excerpt: " Plant Protein is Preferable to animal protein for a variety of reasons (tends to have less methionine, is less IGF-1 promoting, etc.), but it’s not clear how much of an advantage it has when it comes to bone health."
This says: "All in all, adequate [my emphasis] protein is essential for bone growth, maintenance and renewal."
" a high protein intake would lead to bone loss. Cross-cultural studies, in fact, suggest that animal protein intake is positively associated with increased hip fracture incidence. Several worldwide surveys document that the countries with highest animal protein intakes are those with highest hip fracture rates. The proposed explanation of this relationship between animal protein and hip fracture incidence relates to the fact that animal protein is rich in acid-forming, sulfur-containing amino acids and low in base-forming precursors (such as vegetable sources of potassium citrate). Further, the contemporary cultures consuming a high animal protein diet also tend to under-consume vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, food high in base-forming precursors. This combination contributes to chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis and subsequent bone weakening."
"Higher proteins diets, in the context of a nutrient-dense overall diet — which includes high calcium, potassium and magnesium intake — need not necessarily be of detriment to bone. Such a diet could likely benefit bone if one consumed enough base-forming foods and nutrients to neutralize net endogenous acid excretion. "
Meanwhile...this cites studies affirming protein intake is highly correlated with worse bones. Then cites archaeological evidence proving the reverse. ("Osteoporosis is often associated with excess consumption of alcohol."!!!)
Excerpt: "March 25, 2002 -- Eating more protein could help your body absorb calcium, possibly putting a halt to bone-thinning osteoporosis, says a new study.
High-protein diets, such as the Atkins plan, have been controversial, since studies have shown that they can cause bone loss. Yet elderly people are supposed to eat more protein, to help wound healing and maintain muscle mass.
The study shows that -- when the body is already getting adequate amounts of calcium -- a high-protein diet can actually repair bone loss.
From WebMD "Our results suggest that a higher calcium intake is going to be protective against any adverse effects of protein on bone, and may allow protein to have a positive effect," says lead author Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, senior scientist and chief of the Calcium and Bone Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University."
...
What Are The Stakes?
But this says dairy & protein are important (notice: no footnotes)...and it's enough of a "popular" rather than scientific website that the next story is "17 Celebrities You Will Never Guess are Muslim"
This...says animal protein causes lost dietary, rather than skeletal calcium. Excerpt: " Plant Protein is Preferable to animal protein for a variety of reasons (tends to have less methionine, is less IGF-1 promoting, etc.), but it’s not clear how much of an advantage it has when it comes to bone health."
This says: "All in all, adequate [my emphasis] protein is essential for bone growth, maintenance and renewal."
" a high protein intake would lead to bone loss. Cross-cultural studies, in fact, suggest that animal protein intake is positively associated with increased hip fracture incidence. Several worldwide surveys document that the countries with highest animal protein intakes are those with highest hip fracture rates. The proposed explanation of this relationship between animal protein and hip fracture incidence relates to the fact that animal protein is rich in acid-forming, sulfur-containing amino acids and low in base-forming precursors (such as vegetable sources of potassium citrate). Further, the contemporary cultures consuming a high animal protein diet also tend to under-consume vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, food high in base-forming precursors. This combination contributes to chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis and subsequent bone weakening."
"Higher proteins diets, in the context of a nutrient-dense overall diet — which includes high calcium, potassium and magnesium intake — need not necessarily be of detriment to bone. Such a diet could likely benefit bone if one consumed enough base-forming foods and nutrients to neutralize net endogenous acid excretion. "
Meanwhile...this cites studies affirming protein intake is highly correlated with worse bones. Then cites archaeological evidence proving the reverse. ("Osteoporosis is often associated with excess consumption of alcohol."!!!)
Excerpt: "March 25, 2002 -- Eating more protein could help your body absorb calcium, possibly putting a halt to bone-thinning osteoporosis, says a new study.
High-protein diets, such as the Atkins plan, have been controversial, since studies have shown that they can cause bone loss. Yet elderly people are supposed to eat more protein, to help wound healing and maintain muscle mass.
The study shows that -- when the body is already getting adequate amounts of calcium -- a high-protein diet can actually repair bone loss.
From WebMD "Our results suggest that a higher calcium intake is going to be protective against any adverse effects of protein on bone, and may allow protein to have a positive effect," says lead author Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, senior scientist and chief of the Calcium and Bone Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University."
...
What Are The Stakes?
Worth remembering: The Meat & Dairy industries, not to mention big Pharma, have enormous stakes in this debate. This contentious, non-objective approach to dietary and medical science leads authorities like Marcia Angell to say "It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines. I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine."
The Diet Debate
Finally:
Here's a summary of McDougall's points about animal protein, some made
when debating Barry Sears (Zone Diet) and a few other pertinent facts:
1. High protein diets cause bone loss and calcium deficiencies. McDougall has many articles that back up this assertion linked to this web page. Here's one comprehensive take-down of the desirability of protein in one's diet linked from that page.
2. He asks Barry Sears the following:
Barry Sears weighs 210 pounds and is 6'5" according to information from his book. His diet is based on 30% of the calories from protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrate. He says he eats 100 grams of protein a day. He has been following his diet for 4-5 years. He says he is still on his diet because he still needs to lose more weight.
If Barry Sears eats 100 grams of protein that translates into 400 calories of protein (1 gram of protein = 4 calories). Since the proportions of the diet are 30/30/40, this means he also consumes 400 calories of fat, and about 500 calories of carbohydrate. His total calorie intake is therefore 1300 calories per day. A conservative estimate of his actual needs would be over 2300 calories a day, with only sedentary activity. This means every day he is 1000 calories short of his needs. Every week he comes up 7000 calories short, which must be made up from his fat stores. One pound of fat amounts to 3500 calories. Therefore, Barry Sears must lose 2 pounds of fat a week on his diet. Every year by calculation he loses 104 pounds. Since he says he has been on his diet for 4 to 5 years this means he has lost over 400 pounds.
At this point in the debate I asked him, "Barry Sears: A) Did you start your diet at over 600 pounds? B) Do you defy the laws of nature? or C) Is it that you cannot and do not follow your own diet?"
3. Is The Zone a true Low Carb diet? (Obvious answer: no)
4. If carbohydrates were bad for people then the Japanese living in Japan on a rice-based diet would be fat and sickly. When they moved to the US and switched to a lower-carbohydrate, higher-fat and -protein diet they would become thinner and healthier. The truth is the Japanese are among the slimmest, most energetic, longest lived, healthiest people on earth. Furthermore, they take on common American diseases when they change to the American diet. If high-protein diets, which means meat, egg, and dairy products, were so good for us then people who subsist on these foods (most Americans) would be the thin and healthy, and vegetarians would be fat and sick. In general, the opposite is the case.
5. One of the most important reasons for the popularity of high protein diets is they work--people lose lots of weight fast--but it's mostly water. Stored carbohydrate contains large amounts of water. Switching to a low-carbohydrate diet results in the loss of these stores and the associated water, with an impressive initial weight loss. In addition, if the diet is low enough in carbohydrate, like the Atkins diet, then the body goes into ketosis, causing suppression of the appetite, thereby you eat and suffer less. McDougall calls these "the make yourself sick diets," because they simulate metabolic changes that take place during illness--ketosis is a natural state that occurs when people are sick--a time when they shouldn't be gathering and preparing food, but rather recuperating.
A few other citations:
McDougall lays out the case for carbs at USDA:
Debunking South Beach Protein Diet
1. High protein diets cause bone loss and calcium deficiencies. McDougall has many articles that back up this assertion linked to this web page. Here's one comprehensive take-down of the desirability of protein in one's diet linked from that page.
2. He asks Barry Sears the following:
Barry Sears weighs 210 pounds and is 6'5" according to information from his book. His diet is based on 30% of the calories from protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrate. He says he eats 100 grams of protein a day. He has been following his diet for 4-5 years. He says he is still on his diet because he still needs to lose more weight.
If Barry Sears eats 100 grams of protein that translates into 400 calories of protein (1 gram of protein = 4 calories). Since the proportions of the diet are 30/30/40, this means he also consumes 400 calories of fat, and about 500 calories of carbohydrate. His total calorie intake is therefore 1300 calories per day. A conservative estimate of his actual needs would be over 2300 calories a day, with only sedentary activity. This means every day he is 1000 calories short of his needs. Every week he comes up 7000 calories short, which must be made up from his fat stores. One pound of fat amounts to 3500 calories. Therefore, Barry Sears must lose 2 pounds of fat a week on his diet. Every year by calculation he loses 104 pounds. Since he says he has been on his diet for 4 to 5 years this means he has lost over 400 pounds.
At this point in the debate I asked him, "Barry Sears: A) Did you start your diet at over 600 pounds? B) Do you defy the laws of nature? or C) Is it that you cannot and do not follow your own diet?"
3. Is The Zone a true Low Carb diet? (Obvious answer: no)
4. If carbohydrates were bad for people then the Japanese living in Japan on a rice-based diet would be fat and sickly. When they moved to the US and switched to a lower-carbohydrate, higher-fat and -protein diet they would become thinner and healthier. The truth is the Japanese are among the slimmest, most energetic, longest lived, healthiest people on earth. Furthermore, they take on common American diseases when they change to the American diet. If high-protein diets, which means meat, egg, and dairy products, were so good for us then people who subsist on these foods (most Americans) would be the thin and healthy, and vegetarians would be fat and sick. In general, the opposite is the case.
5. One of the most important reasons for the popularity of high protein diets is they work--people lose lots of weight fast--but it's mostly water. Stored carbohydrate contains large amounts of water. Switching to a low-carbohydrate diet results in the loss of these stores and the associated water, with an impressive initial weight loss. In addition, if the diet is low enough in carbohydrate, like the Atkins diet, then the body goes into ketosis, causing suppression of the appetite, thereby you eat and suffer less. McDougall calls these "the make yourself sick diets," because they simulate metabolic changes that take place during illness--ketosis is a natural state that occurs when people are sick--a time when they shouldn't be gathering and preparing food, but rather recuperating.
A few other citations:
McDougall lays out the case for carbs at USDA:
Debunking South Beach Protein Diet
A page of protein debunks:
(From this larger video McDougall at 1:44)
Colin Campbell debates diet (this is more than an hour debate. Very articulate opponent...worth a look.)
If you're unfamiliar, Campbell is a former Columbia biochemist, and the discoverer of aflatoxin, a mold-based carcinogen. He is also the author of The China Study--the largest-ever study of the connection between diet and health, commissioned by Zhou En Lai as Zhou was dying of stomach cancer.
Incidentally, you may read that there are serious dissents from the conclusions of The China Study, but those are typically based on the abbreviated presentation of the research in that book, not the entire set of data. Campbell answers his critics here.
Campbell himself grew up on a dairy farm, eating lots of meat and milk. He currently tours the country promoting vegan diets.
So... you may still believe that I have not adequately studied this issue. After all, I haven't read or viewed everything. What I have viewed and read, though, seems plenty adequate to me.
Here's my almost certain conclusion: Despite these (to me) fairly impressive facts and arguments, I'm betting you'll conclude "Oh that prejudiced person! He can't possibly know all I have read, and all the doctors I know have read!" ... and you'll continue to believe that you're doing the right thing in encouraging women to eat plenty of protein. Heck, you'll eat lots of protein yourself, and believe you're just fine. The resilience of the human body will allow you to do this for a good long while, too.
Diabetes
Meanwhile, here's McDougall on diabetes:
McDougall Newsletter
Video of McDougall lecture about the latest scams from the diabetes industry:
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