Carbohydrate can cause an epidemic of obesity and create fat sediment in the blood vessels. How about protein? Protein is the foundation of important organs such as cells, muscles, bones, nails, hormones, and enzymes. The word protein comes from the Greek, which means the first or the most important. All humans need protein. Bodybuilders get the protein supplement intake in the form of milkshakes, energy drink, or high-protein snacks to build their muscle mass. The public also consume protein in their daily food.
According to the Balanced Nutrition Guidelines, the average energy and protein sufficiency for Indonesian people are 2150 kilo calories and 57 grams of protein per day. Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health showed that the largest energy intake of Indonesian people came from carbohydrates i.e. 57.4%, while only 14.4% came from protein.
This amount is much smaller than the protein consumption level of the Western European and American people. They are even considered as getting too much protein, as their protein consumption is twice the portion recommended by the WHO. The US Dietary Guidelines have warned teenage boys and adult men to reduce their protein intake and consume more vegetables. As for teenage girls and women (who are usually finicky about diet), as well as the elderly (who often have problems of appetite and weak muscle mass), they do not have have this too much protein problem.
Recently, The New York Times raised the controversy issue of protein in its publication. A study published in the Cell Metabolism Journal (the research was done on 6000 American respondents), revealed that people between the age of 50-65, who had 20% of their calories intake from protein, were more prone to cancer than those whose protein intake were less.
This study was strongly criticised, as the data used came from a 24-hour research. Another study even suggested otherwise. Those who had high-protein diet (respondents aged over 65 years) had lower risk of early death. There were also studies revealing that high-protein and low-carbohydrate diet can reduce high blood pressure and prevent heart attacks.
Having said that, many scientists confirm that consumption of protein from red meat or processed meat can cause colon cancer. Fish, chicken, and vegetables are healthier sources of protein.
Text by Denistya Sagita
Stock photos from Body Building
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