The downside of too much protein | #23
Plus: The plastic recycling fraud, research on benzodiazepine, and exercise for women vs. men
Greetings!
This month I published two new pieces on the Dignity Integrative blog. The first updates my thinking about semaglutide and the so-called “miracle” weight loss drugs that have exploded in popularity over the past year. We’ve learned a lot over the past year, with new studies cataloging both risks and benefits. To sum up:
I still don’t consider [these drugs] to be the first, or even second, or third choice for someone aiming to lose weight and/or mitigate the side effects of being overweight.
That said, there is definitely a space for semaglutide and its related drugs, including in integrative and functional medicine. This is something I’ve become more open to over the last year, as more good studies have been released showing positive results. On balance, it seems like the risks that may be associated with semaglutide are being outweighed by the benefits of losing weight.
Second, I highly recommend you read my post on the role of faith and religion in long-term health outcomes. The evidence is pretty clear that people who go to church live longer:
Attending a religious service more than once a week lowered your risk of dying from all causes by 33%, cardiovascular disease by 27% and cancer by 21% over those 20 years.
I’m not saying everyone should take up religion immediately. But I am saying that the role of faith in your health and wellness deserves more attention and discussion.
Now, on to this month’s recommendations!
#1: The downside of too much protein
Protein intake seems to be all the rage. The message is that we all need more protein than we are ingesting. While that may be true, there may also be a downside to too much protein in triggering an inflammatory cascade, as noted in a recent study from Dr. Babak Razani, a professor of cardiology at the University of Pittsburgh.
Trying to tease out the perfect amount of protein is a worthy goal. And Razani is careful to note that many questions remain such as:
What happens when a person consumes between 15% and 22% of daily calories (as recommended by the USDA) from protein?
Is there a 'sweet spot' for maximizing the benefits of protein—such as muscle gain—while avoiding kick-starting a molecular cascade of damaging events leading to cardiovascular disease?
My recommendation is to stick with 0.5-0.75 g/lb per day of protein unless doing intense daily exercise.
#2: The plastic recycling fraud
We all do it. Diligently separating those plastic containers, washing them out, and placing them in the recycling bin for our community to pick them up and reprocess.
Unfortunately, the real truth, according to a brutal NPR report, is that very little of it gets recycled. The economics of making new plastic trumps reprocessing the old.
Despite years of recycling campaigns:
…less than 10% of plastic waste gets recycled globally, and the amount of plastic waste that's dumped in the environment continues to soar.
The idea that recycling can solve the problem of plastic waste "has always been a fraud, and it's always been a way for the industry to sell more plastic," says Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity
With the recognition of the dangers of microplastics for humans and the planet, we should focus on reducing plastic usage where possible. First, STOP BUYING PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES and then get rid of plastic food containers in favor of glass.
#3: Half-cardio, half-strength training reduces cardiovascular risks
This elegant study showed the best way to reduce cardiovascular risk is using a combination of both aerobic and resistance training.
The study tracked 400 people over a year with known cardiovascular risk. The results showed a combination of aerobic and resistance training led to reductions in systolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose, and body fat percentage.
The next step is to determine if 15, 30, or 60 minutes twice weekly is the right ‘dose’ of resistance training in combination with aerobic exercise.
#4: What happens if you stop taking a benzodiazepine?
One of the most common dangerously prescribed drug classes is benzodiazepines. They go by the names Ativan, Klonopin, Valium, Xanax, and others. They have been shown, when taken chronically, to lead to early death. The challenge, as this paper shows, is they are also dangerous to get off once taken for long periods.
The study showed 60% higher rates of death in a population study of over 300,000 people in the year following stopping these chronic medications versus those who continued taking them.
It reinforces the importance of medical supervision and gradual weaning of these medications, often through an addiction specialist, when on them chronically.
#5: Exercise yields greater benefits for women than men
Exercise is important for all of us but women who exercise regularly seem to derive higher benefits at lower ‘doses’ according to this study.
Analyzing data from over 400,000 U.S. adults, the research found that women have a 24% lower risk of mortality and a 36% reduced risk of fatal cardiovascular events compared to men’s 15% and 14% reductions, respectively.
When comparing duration women needed to do 140 minutes a week vs. men at 300 minutes per week for a 18-19% reduction in risk using moderate aerobic activity. Similar patterns were seen for resistance training.
The bad news is only 20-40% of men and women met the weekly physical activity requirements.
#6: Do warning labels for food work? The answer is YES.
How do you get people to eat healthier when 60% of what we eat is ultra-processed food? There is a role for clear public policy to educate and warn consumers about the danger of excess calories, sugar, and fats.
The shining example is that of Chile which implemented clear warning labels beginning in 2016. This was followed by several other South American countries. These labels are having a positive impact on consumer choices as well as manufacturers responding to warning labels by adjusting their food formulations.
This strategy is now in place in seven South American countries as well as Mexico.