For advertising information visit www.samplerpublications.com or call 859.225.4466 | April 2014
FOOD BITES
By Angela S. Hoover, Staff Writer
Study Suggests Low
Protein Diet During
Middle Age Years
Increases Lifespan
A two-decade study has found that
eating a diet rich in animal proteins
during middle age makes a person
four times more likely to die of cancer
than someone with a low-protein
diet. This mortality risk factor is
comparable to smoking. Not only is
excessive protein consumption linked
to a dramatic rise in cancer mortality,
but middle-aged people who eat lots
of proteins from animal sources –
meat, milk and cheese – are also more
susceptible to early death in general.
High protein eaters were 74 percent
more likely to die of any cause within
the study period than the low-protein
eaters, and they are several times
more likely to die of diabetes.
Prior to this study, researchers had
never shown a definitive correlation
between high protein consumption
and mortality risk. The difference in
this study is it looked at how biology
changes as we age rather than looking
at adulthood as one monolithic phase
of life. The researchers believe a lowprotein diet in middle age is useful for
preventing cancer and overall mortality through a process that involves
regulating IGF-I and possibly insulin
levels. Yet, after middle age, a low protein diet should be avoided. Protein
controls the growth hormone IGF-I,
which helps our bodies grow but has
been linked to cancer susceptibility.
Levels of IGF-I drop off dramatically after age 65, leading to potential
frailty and muscle loss.
While high protein intake during
middle age is harmful, it is protective
for adult older than 65. It is advised
to cut protein, but not eliminate
it, from the diet. This should be
fairly easy because the majority of
Americans are eating about twice
as much protein as they should, per
the researchers. The recommended
amount that is also supported by
several health agencies is to consume
0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of
body weight every day during middle
age years. Therefore, a 130-lb person
should eat 45-50 grams of protein
a day, with the majority being from
plants and legumes. Conversely, the
researchers define a high protein diet
as one deriving at least 20 percent of
calories from protein, including both
plant- and animal-based protein. A
moderate protein diet includes 10-19
percent of calories from protein; and
a low protein diet includes less than
10 percent protein. Even a moderate
protein diet has detrimental health
effects during middle age, per the
researchers. Their research was published in the March issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.
FDA Proposed
Nutrition Label
Changes
The FDA is proposing a change
to nutrition labels to emphasize the
number of calories and servings per
container,
update the
daily value
percentages, update
serving
sizes, list
added
sugars and
no longer
require the
labeling of
vitamins A
and C. The
move is in
response to
people eating larger
serving sizes, and the rates for obesity,
heart disease and stroke remaining
high. The changes intend to bring
attention to calories and serving sizes,
as well as require the listing of added
sugars. Calories would be in larger
and bolder type and the number
of servings per package would be
more prominent. The “Amount Per
Serving” would now have the actual
serving size listed, such as “Amount
Per Cup.” Calories from fat would no
longer be listed since we now know
that the type of fat is more important
than total fat amount. Total saturated
and trans fat would still be require