Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which serve as energy sources for our body, are called the three major nutrients. Among them, protein is a source of energy and at the same time a basic element that composes our body. However, just because protein plays an important role in many parts of the body doesn’t mean that everyone should consume the most protein. Then, who should eat protein, how and how much?
High-protein foodsㅣSource: Clip Art Korea
Colorectal cancer patients need to drastically reduce their protein intake
A recent study has found that colon cancer patients, who account for about 70% of colorectal cancer cases, can starve cancer cells to death if their protein intake is greatly reduced at the beginning of treatment.
A research team at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center in the United States found that when colon cancer patients start treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, following a low-protein diet for 1 to 2 weeks can cause mass death of cancer cells. This was confirmed in cell and mouse experiments.
Protein intake activates mTOR and inhibits autophagy. Here, mTOR is a key gene for development and growth, and promotes cell growth when activated. Continuous stimulation of mTOR inhibits autophagy, creating a favorable environment for cancer cell growth. Cancer is because cells ignore the death cycle and proliferate abnormally. The research team explained, “Cells can die if they do not have nutrients necessary for growth.
When cancer is progressing or undergoing chemotherapy, protein in the body is likely to be depleted. Therefore, it is undesirable to provide long-term low-protein diets to cancer patients. The research team plans to conduct a study to find out when and how long a low-protein diet is suitable for cancer patients.
The results of this study were published in the international journal ‘Gastroenterology’.
Metabolic syndrome patients, protein intake 0.8g per 1kg
Studies have shown that a diet that restricts protein intake is effective in combating metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome refers to a phenomenon in which adult diseases related to metabolism, such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity, appear simultaneously.
A research team from Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, compared and analyzed the effects of a protein- and calorie-restricted diet on patients with metabolic syndrome. As a result of reducing protein intake to 0.8 g per 1 kg of body weight, all of them lost weight and the metabolic syndrome symptoms improved. It was found to lower blood sugar, lose weight, control blood pressure, reduce triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and improve insulin sensitivity. The research team said, “Body fat decreased, but muscle mass did not decrease.” “We proved that protein restriction reduces body fat while maintaining muscle mass.”
The results of this study were published in the international journal ‘Nutrients’.
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Elderly people should rather increase their protein intake
The elderly should pay attention to their protein intake as much as they do during their growth period. This is because the risk of developing various diseases such as sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and geriatric deafness increases if the elderly do not consume adequate protein. However, as a result of a recent analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Survey data from 2010 to 2019 by a research team from the Department of Food and Nutrition at Jeju National University, it was found that most people eat more than the average daily protein intake, but people over the age of 65 do not consume enough.
It is known that muscle mass starts to decrease from the age of 40 and decreases by 1-2% every year from the age of 50. In order to maintain muscle mass in old age, protein intake should be increased to 1.0 to 1.2 g per 1 kg of body weight. However, even if you consume the same protein, it is important to eat ‘complete protein food’ that contains nine essential amino acids that are not synthesized in the body and must be supplemented through food. Animal foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products fall into this category. Professor Park Yong-woo (Kangbuk Samsung Hospital), a counseling doctor at the Department of Family Medicine at Haidak, advised, “After the age of 65, you should actively increase your meat intake and pay attention not to run out of protein intake.”
Elderly people should pay attention to how much protein they eat, but they also need to pay special attention to how much they are absorbed. Protein is digested by meeting gastric acid and pepsin in the stomach, and this is because the secretion decreases with age. Tofu is a high-protein food that is easily digested. Although beans lack methionine among the nine essential amino acids, they are suitable for the elderly due to their high amino acid utilization.
Help = Professor Park Yong-woo, counseling doctor at Haidak (Kangbuk Samsung Hospital family medicine specialist)
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