Since the Scarsdale and the Atkins diets have been around, dietitians have had to “debate” the pros and cons of a high protein diet. We even got more frustrated when doctors would put their patients and themselves on a high protein diet for weight loss. To this day, the only doctors who would not put their patients on a high protein diet were the nephrologists (kidney specialists).
But as dietitians, we were trained to look at the whole person. We studied biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, endocrinology and nutrition to “nauseum”. So when we talk about what’s best for weight loss, we cannot simply concentrate on the extra fat people are carrying around their waist. We evaluate benefits for the whole body, hence holistic or to me…“wholistic”.
I hope you can appreciate my excitement when I saw this in my inbox: “High protein diet may make brain lighter: Animal study”.
Ok, I did not really care to know that mouse’s brain weights 5% less when fed a high protein diet (60% protein & 30% carb) compared to mice fed a 60 % fat & 30% protein diet or a 60% carb & 30% protein diet. I wanted to know about the implications of these differences. They also mentioned that regions of the hippocampus were underdeveloped in mice fed the high protein diet. It is a known fact that the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage from Alzheimer’s disease; where memory problems and disorientation appear as the first symptoms.
I understand that this study was done on mice but they had my attention as they continued in saying “Given the previously reported association of high protein diet with aging-related neurotoxicity, one wonders whether particular diets, if ingested at particular ages, might increase susceptibility to incidence or progression of Alzheimer’s disease”.
Now we have more helpful advice to reduce the risk of this awful disease. The ball is in our corner; eating and lifestyle are much more powerful than genes. Think about that. You have the knowledge and now you got the power!
- Josée
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Labels: Josee, Recent Research
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VERY INTERESTING! I am not a high protein person but not higher carb either... I am more a 40-30-30 type person but it depends on day & exercise for the day. I listen to the bod & go from there BUT this is something to think about definitely!