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Magazine
EAT SMART
Protein and you
DR HIRAMALINI SESHADRI
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Adequate amount of protein in your diet brings down antibiotic needs and keeps you fighting fit.
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Photo: K.K. Mustafah
Cheap source of protein: Eat a variety of legumes, whole pulses and dals.
Though steel and cement go into the making of a house, the basic building block is the brick. Similarly though carbohydrates, fats and minerals go into the making of our bodies, the basic building block is protein. Protein is not only the main struct
ural building block, but also the main catalyst for all body functions as all the controls of metabolism — enzymes, neurotransmitters and hormones — are all proteins. Protection and recovery from illness, both of which are functions of the immune system, are also totally protein-driven. Indeed our body is essentially all protein.
We get our protein from food; and there are two aspects to it — quantity and quality. All proteins are made from 23 amino acids; and there are nine “essential” amino acids that have to be supplied from outside everyday; the body cannot manufacture them.
Quantity and quality
How much protein do we need? Quantity-wise a gram of protein for every kilo we weigh. Quality-wise we need to ensure that we get all the essential amino-acids in our diet. Quality-wise, egg protein is a complete protein in that it supplies all the essential amino acids. Non-vegetarian diets are rich in protein quantity and quality-wise, but they bring with them the poison of excess fats with their disastrous consequences. Lean meats in moderation preferably cooked rather than fried are advisable. In India, where diabetes and hypertension threaten to become “National Diseases”, it seems most advisable to be vegetarian and to eat a variety of legumes, whole pulses and dals so that our protein sources are as complete as possible.
Our need for protein varies with age. Growing children, pregnant and lactating women need more of all nutrients including protein. In some situations, all of us need more protein: when recovering from infections, while convalescing from surgery... Those prone to “phlegm problems”, like asthmatics, benefit greatly from a diet adequate in quality protein. Are there situations where one restricts protein intake? In those with kidney problems, the amount of protein recommended is 0.8 gm for every kilo of body weight. Another group asked to avoid excess protein are those with gout and problems relating to excess uric acid. Uric acid is an end product of protein metabolism and when high levels cause problems, part of the strategy is reducing uric acid production by cutting down red meats. However in India, as even so called non-vegetarians are largely vegetarian, the chances of ‘too much protein’ in the diet are virtually nonexistent. The truth is that most Indian diets are low in quantity and poor in quality when it comes to protein.
Supplements
Are protein supplements required? Doctors are divided on the issue; but those who are too busy to eat right, such as software professionals, business executives, hostellers who subsist on junk foods and the like, particularly if they are vegetarian, would benefit from supplements of 10 gm of a complete protein of soya origin with a good digestibility and absorption score. There are plenty of nutraceutical manufacturers to choose from; check independent survey reports and choose right.
The writer is a Senior Consultant, Holistic Internal Medicine and Rheumatology in Chennai. E-mail:
hiramalini@yahoo.com
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