THE
FIRST ELEMENT......PROTEIN
This article was originally published in Parent Circle magazine, June 2013. I've reproduced it here as first written. The only thing that I would alter is the dairy advice. Research now shows that organic fresh dairy products are the best form in which to consume this food group. Raw, unpasteurized (heated breastmilk too loses half of it's nutritional value) organic milk is best especially for children...if you choose to give dairy. I've previously written on Plant vs Animal Protein ...please read both for a full perspective on Protein.
Discovered in the 1800's by a chemist
named Mulder, Proteins are still the most researched biological molecules even
today. The human body contains around 50, 000 different proteins, each with
their unique, critical functions to perform.
Proteins are made up of building blocks
called 'Amino Acids'. There are 20 different amino acids present in human
proteins and of these, 9 are called essential. When you hear this term
applied to any nutrient, it means that the body is not capable of deriving or
producing this compound itself. 'Essential' means that the particular nutrient
needs to be derived from food.
Amino acids are made up of 4 basic
elements Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and
Nitrogen. These are linked together in different ways and with side elements or
molecules to give each acid their unique character and function. Amino acids
are also the products of protein digestion by our gut. They are absorbed into
the blood stream and form an 'amino acid pool' which is like a bank account
from which the body withdraws what it needs to reconstruct different types of
proteins.
Once proteins from food are absorbed, they
don't last very long in the body.... some 3 to
5 hours. This is why we need to keep consuming different protein
containing foods on a daily basis, replenishing this stock. The body functions
wonderfully to utilize these amino acids within this short time. If there is an
additional demand, say due to moderate physical activity, the body steps up protein
production and increases it's storage in our muscles. Building of muscle mass
(lean body mass) is a desirable process.
Proteins figure in every bodily
process...from formation of skin, hair and nails to making sure each cell in
your body receives a supply of oxygen to lifting your little finger. They make
up hormones, enzymes, genetic material, blood, bone marrow and the list goes
on. They are especially critical in phases of life where growth takes place -
childhood, adolescence, pregnancy and lactation. As we age, we lose more
protein, therefore we need to focus even more on consumption to replenish our
protein stores.
Infancy, childhood and adolescence are
high-growth phases during which protein plays a huge role. If there is any consistent
deficit in dietary protein intake at these times, the consequences can last a
lifetime!
If your child's diet falls
short of the first element, the following could result:
- Fatigue
- Decreased muscle mass and in
severe cases - muscle wasting
- Failure to thrive, poor
growth
- Irritability
- Changes in nails, skin and
hair colour
- Anemia
- Frequent severe infections
due to lowered immunity
- Constipation
- Slow healing of wounds
- Sleep problems
In extreme protein deficiency, the
respiratory system and heart muscles are weakened - this is seen mostly in
children from impoverished families.
FOOD SOURCES can be of 2 types
– Animal and Plant.....
There is a scoring for protein called Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). Based on this, protein derived from animal
sources scores higher than those from plants. Therefore, it was inferred that
animal protein is of higher quality. This information has been so widely spread
but is not true.
Protein
from animal sources (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and it's products) has been linked to increased risk for many
disorders. Increased animal protein consumption acidifies the blood
necessitating withdrawal of calcium and other salts from your bones to neutralize
it. This process leads to loss of bone mass and increased risk of osteoporosis
as well as erosion of teeth. There are studies now highlighting the influence
of animal protein isolates on activating cancer cells. It is also associated
with lowered
age of puberty in girls. Excessive animal protein intake is a burden on the
kidneys which have to excrete it and could damage these organs.
But we
need to view protein more as a 'food package'. Proteins do not naturally occur
in isolation. Most sources of animal proteins also give you saturated fat /
cholesterol, almost no fibre and not too many vitamins. So increasing your
protein intake from animal sources increases your risk for cancer, diabetes and
heart disease among others.
Have
you ever been asked, as a vegetarian, how you get enough protein? The meat and
dairy industries in the US are said to have links with politicians responsible
for food related policy making and are a powerful lobby in Washington. These
industries, perceiving vegetarianism to be a threat in the seventies, spread
rumours and 'conducted studies' purportedly showing that a vegetarian diet
‘lacked sufficient protein’, leading to protein deficiency. This misinformation
campaign was so successful that even in India, meat eaters often ask their
vegetarian friends how they manage to get their protein. In fact, especially in
North India, there is still a common belief that only meat, egg and dairy
consumption makes you 'strong and healthy’.
Plant
protein for years has been sidelined as an 'incomplete protein' source simply
because several plant foods are missing one or more amino acids. Also, these
don't fare as well in their PDCAAS scores. 80 – 100% of animal proteins are
absorbed by the digestive system but absorption isn't that much less for plant
proteins – it falls in the range of 75 – 90%. Recently, plant proteins have
been getting lots of good press because their 'food package' is much healthier.
When you consume this type, you are also getting fibre, phytochemicals, vitamins
and minerals which build wellness and are as effective in replenishing
the amino acid pool as animal proteins.
PLANT
PROTEIN is finally being acknowledged as high quality protein by the scientific
community. This comes after many studies
on vegetarians and vegans. Anyone eating whole and
largely unprocessed vegetarian food, so long as he consumes a couple or more
protein-rich plant foods in a day, will get more than sufficient protein for his
daily requirement. This holds good even for an athlete or body-builder. Such
people who consume largely plant proteins are found to have lower rates of
chronic disease, are more active, more likely to be at their ideal body weight
and 'feel healthier' in general.
This
doesn’t mean you need to stop eating meat, dairy or eggs. In India, most people
don’t eat meat every day anyway (like they do in the west). Just ensure that
you cook meat healthily with less fat / oil, choose white meat over red meat
and leave out the yolk more than half the time when consuming eggs.
Also, most people (even vegetarians) in
India consume dairy products like milk, curd, paneer and cheese. These add to
the already abundant protein present in a plant - based diet. Just ensure dairy
products are low fat to make it a healthy 'food package'. The whole
family benefits from eating this way, not just the children.
These are high protein vegetable foods
–------> dals, pulses, legumes, sprouts, nuts, seeds and
green leafy veggies like agathi, rajakeerai, kuppakeerai, sembu ilaigal
(colocasia leaves), curry leaves, drumstick leaves and manthakkali keerai. (Of
course, to get the benefit of the protein in greens, you have to consume a
large quantity). Cereal grains like oats, whole wheat and whole rice are great sources
too. Refining of cereal grains (white rice / maida) can result in at
least 18 – 25% loss of valuable protein
from the grain. High protein sources which are now popular in India are nuts,
seeds, whole grams and last but not
least Quinoa (originally from South America).
PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION
If we consume a variety of healthy, whole
and natural foods in a day, we will get enough protein. There are, however,
specific circumstances under which extra protein may be required, for example
…. endurance athletes, undernourished children, people with chronic disease, injury, infection or
diabetes. In such cases, if deemed necessary, a safe protein supplement should
be taken as per the doctor's or nutritionist's recommendation. Avoid taking
more than prescribed.
Protein
is a big business. Avoid any brand containing the word ‘grow’, ‘muscle
building’, ‘mass’, etc even if you are into hardcore strength training. If your
doctor prescribes it – follow the same rule and take it for the least possible
duration. Just because you train at a gym doesn't mean you need protein
supplements. Be responsible for eating a healthy, well balanced diet to meet
your daily requirement.
The National Institute of
Nutrition states that the recommended dietary protein allowance for Indians is:
Age Group
|
Protein requirement (gram / kg of body weight)
|
Infants (0-1yr)
|
1.4 – 1.6
|
Children (1 – 10 yrs)
|
1.2 – 1.4
|
Adolescents
|
1.1 – 1.2
|
Adults
|
0.8 – 1
|
Pregnancy - 1st trimester
|
Adult allowance plus an additional 1 gram per day
|
2nd trimester
|
Adult allowance plus an
additional 7 grams per day
|
3rd trimester
|
Adult allowance plus an
additional 20 grams per day
|
Lactation
|
Adult allowance plus an
additional 20 grams per day
|
If you eat all the foods
recommended daily and at least 1 or 2 servings of foods recommended weekly, you
will be getting around 70 g of protein or more per day! There is actually a
little more coming in from your veggie intake. So don't panic that you may be
deficient in protein.....this is proof that a wholesome, largely plant-based
diet more than satisfies an average Indian's daily requirement for protein. For
your children, based on their food intake capacity, they too are consuming more
than enough protein for their body weight. Just ensure these basic food groups are
a part of their diet.
Food (Protein Source)
|
Quantity per serving (g or ml)
|
Protein content per serving (g)
|
Recommended number of servings
|
Cereal
Grains (rice, wheat, millets, oats, etc)
|
1 roti / 1 idli / 1 dosa / 100 g cooked rice or
millet
|
1.6 - 2
|
7-10 per day
|
Dals, pulses and legumes
|
100 g, soaked or cooked
|
6.4
|
3 - 4 per day
|
Milk and Curd (low fat)
|
200 ml
|
6.4
|
3 - 4 per day
|
Nuts and seeds
|
30 g
|
4.8 – 7.5
|
1 per day
|
Sprouts
|
100 g, raw or steamed
|
4
|
3 - 4 per week
|
Paneer and cheese
|
25 - 30 g
|
5
|
2 per week
|
Egg White
|
35 g (1, medium)
|
6.4
|
2 – 3 per week
|
Chicken / Poultry
|
24 g
|
6.4
|
1 - 2 per week
|
Fish
|
30 g
|
6.4
|
1 – 2 per week
|
Unsweetened Soymilk
|
200 ml
|
5.8
|
1 – 2 per fortnight
|
Plain tofu (not fried)
|
60 g
|
6.4
|
1 – 2 per fortnight
|
Soybean
|
100 g, cooked
|
10
|
1 - 2 per fortnight
|
Quinoa
|
100 g, cooked
|
4.3
|
1 – 2 per fortnight
|
Mutton / Red meat
|
30 – 35 g
|
6.4
|
1 per 3 or 4 weeks
|
