Nutrition

Q: What's the final word on saturated fat?

A: As with many topics, the answer to this question depends a lot on who you ask. Since you asked me, I'll give you my opinion on the subject, but you can be sure that if you ask a Stepford Wife Dietitian, you'll get a completely different answer. Of course, you probably wouldn't be reading my column if you were the type of person who listens to these idiots.

For years, the main argument against saturated fat has been that it raises cholesterol levels, which in turn causes heart disease. But the importance of cholesterol as a primary risk factor for heart disease is increasingly being questioned. And the fact is that saturated fats sometimes raise cholesterol levels and sometimes don't, and it may well be that they ultimately play no role at all.

In 2008, there was a two-day conference organized by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians in conjunction with the Metabolism Society in Arizona on the topic: "Saturated Fat and Heart Disease: What's the Evidence?" I attended this conference, which featured some of the brightest scientists studying this topic, and I can summarize the answer to the question "What is the evidence?" in a few words: "There isn't much."

In my opinion, the "fate" of saturated fat in the body depends entirely on what else you eat. If you're on a high-carb diet, the consequences of saturated fat can indeed be devastating, but if you're on a low-carb diet, it's a completely different story.

"When carbohydrate intake is low, insulin levels are low and fat is processed more efficiently," says Jeff Volek, PhD, RD - one of the leading scientists in the field of nutritional comparison. "When carbohydrate intake is low, you burn those saturated fats to fuel the body and produce less saturated fat."

So eat less carbohydrates and a lot less sugar and it could be that the amount of saturated fat you consume doesn't matter. One reason I think saturated fats have been demonized is that a lot of the research on diet and disease has lumped saturated fats in with trans fats. Trans fats were not an issue until recently, and for decades scientists conducting nutrition studies did not differentiate between saturated fats and trans fats. But why does it matter? Because man-made trans fats really are the devil's spawn. They clearly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke and are responsible for 30,000 premature deaths a year, according to Harvard professors Walt Willett and Alberto Ascherio.

Another reason that saturated fats have such a bad reputation is that many of the saturated fats people consume come from unhealthy sources. Fried foods are not a particularly good way to "enrich" your diet with fat. The same goes for highly processed, hormone-treated meat. The saturated fats from healthy animals - like grass-fed cattle or lambs - or the saturated fats in organic butter or egg yolks are a whole different story.

I have yet to see any convincing evidence that saturated fats from whole food sources like the ones I just mentioned have even a single negative effect on heart disease, health or mortality - which is especially true when these foods are consumed as part of a diet rich in plant foods, antioxidants, fiber and all the other good stuff you can eat as part of a diet with controlled carbohydrate intake. What's the verdict? While there may be certain cases where saturated fat can be a problem - people with the ApoE4 gene, which makes them more susceptible to Alzheimer's, seem to benefit from avoiding too much saturated fat, for example - most people who follow a healthy diet with moderate calories that is low in sugar should have no problems with saturated fat from whole food sources. Of course, this won't stop these diet dictators from continuing to tell us that a low-fat diet prevents heart disease, but new facts have rarely interested the American Dietetic Association until now!

Is honey really that healthy?

Q: Some people claim that honey is a very healthy food. Is it really that good for us or is honey just sugar?

A: Well, those are two separate questions:

1. Is honey good for you?
2. Is honey just sugar?

I'll deal with the second question first. From your body's perspective, honey is just sugar.

In terms of glycemic impact - how quickly a particular food raises your blood sugar levels - it doesn't make much difference whether you eat regular table sugar, unprocessed raw sugar, brown rice syrup, cane sugar, honey or any other variety of sugar, which incidentally includes the latest craze in the supposedly healthy food market called agave nectar syrup, which is even worse than high fructose corn syrup in terms of its composition. So if you're trying to reduce your sugar intake, honey counts here. The first question - is honey good for you? - is a bit more complicated and also depends on your definition of honey.

If by honey you mean the junk you buy in the supermarket in those cute little plastic bottles that look like a teddy bear, then the answer is almost certainly 'no'.

If by honey you mean raw, unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized organic honey, then the answer is "maybe".

Even though both types of honey will spike your blood sugar levels to the same extent, this does not mean that they are nutritionally identical. Raw, unprocessed honey that comes straight from the comb contains a range of nutrients and enzymes and is a wholesome, albeit very sweet, food. If you don't have problems with your blood sugar, you can use honey wisely for sweetening. In general, "the harder the better" applies to honey. The extent of crystallization (the hardness) determines the level of active nutrients and heat-sensitive enzymes. Some types of honey are even sold with parts of the comb in the jar. Real honey contains flavanones, flavones and flavonols, which are known for their antioxidant activity.

Remember that processed honey, like the stuff from the bear bottle, is just another highly processed food that has been stripped of all the good ingredients and is nothing more than a sweet, golden-colored liquid that's about as good for you as sugar-coated cornflakes.

Fake "Health" Foods

Q: What is a food that dedicated athletes eat, but are better off not eating? In other words, I would like to know what widely available, supposed health foods are.

A: I thought this was an excellent question to ask my panel of experts and not one of them hesitated to offer an opinion on this - all of whom are good, by the way.

Gregg Avedon, who is one of the most successful fitness models in the world, mentioned sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade. "These drinks are designed for endurance athletes and professional athletes who are burning calories like crazy and depleting their muscle glycogen stores very quickly and in a big way, and yet average fitness enthusiasts who train in the medium to low intensity range drink these drinks without thinking twice."

Nutrition expert and exercise physiologist JJ Virgin, PhD, singled out energy bars that are often overloaded with chemicals and sometimes even trans fats and high fructose corn syrup. Gina Lombardi, host of the Discovery Channel program Fit Nation and author of the book Deadline Fitness picked baked chips. "High in sodium, chemicals and processed carbs!" she noted.

Top New York fitness trainer, model and personal trainer Angie Lee chose fruit juice. "Way too high in calories and sugar and makes it harder for people to control their liquid calories," was her observation. In my opinion, the judges' award for junk with purported health benefits goes to Jamba Juice's smoothies.

Most of these high-carb, high-calorie, high-glycemic nightmares will send your blood sugar levels skyrocketing faster than a border collie on methamphetamine. Example: The banana berry smoothie with 112 grams of carbohydrates and 480 kcal. Don't be misled by these fake fitness foods!

The truth about coffee

Q: Is coffee good or bad. It seems like the experts can't make up their minds!

A: It's not that we can't agree on the facts about caffeine, it's that reasonable people can come to different conclusions about what those facts mean. It's much like any other area of life from politics to economics. So let's take a look at some of these facts. There are some interesting facts about coffee: Coffee is a very good source of antioxidants. In a comparison of the antioxidant properties of different beverages, coffee was ranked in the top tier along with tea and grapefruit juice (1).

A 2001 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry concluded that coffee contains significantly more total antioxidants than coconut, green tea, black tea or herbal tea. A study published in 2006 concluded that coffee could inhibit inflammation and thereby reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other inflammatory diseases in postmenopausal women. Two of the antioxidants responsible for the health benefits of coffee are chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid. Both are powerful antioxidants and coffee beans are one of the richest sources of chlorogenic acid in the world.

More facts: Caffeine increases exercise tolerance in patients suffering from heart failure. According to the Nurses Health Study, two to three cups of coffee could reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease. Coffee reduces the formation of gallstones in men and could protect against alcohol-related liver disease. And let's not forget the social benefits of coffee: what would all those people who meet online do without meeting for a coffee to get to know each other in real life?

So is coffee good for you? Let's look at some more facts. Scientific research has shown that even one or two cups of coffee can increase the risk of early miscarriage during a normal pregnancy. Three or more cups of coffee a day can seriously exacerbate PMS symptoms and the amount of caffeine contained in two to three cups of coffee can increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure for at least one to two hours.

So what are the conclusions? Many of my friends in the health world seem to think that coffee is one of the big bad wolves of the modern diet and claim that it can contribute to adrenal burnout, inner restlessness and reduced sleep quality and can seriously increase blood pressure in people susceptible to this.

While it's obviously better not to overstimulate yourself by consuming 19 cups at Starbucks a day, I think that coffee is a perfectly acceptable beverage to consume within reason and has more benefits than drawbacks. The slight increase in blood sugar from caffeinated coffee is a bonus for athletes who can use that blood sugar as an energy source for their muscles. This is one of the reasons that small amounts of coffee before a sporting event are considered performance enhancing. One thing to think about: coffee is one of the most heavily pesticide-treated crops. If you have the choice, you should go for the organic variety. But as with most things, the dose makes the poison. If you need coffee to stay awake, it's probably not so good for you. If you drink a few cups of coffee and it doesn't keep you awake unintentionally or make your hands shake, then you have nothing to worry about.

Natural appetite control

Q: Are there any foods that can help control appetite while dieting?

A: There are two ways that I know of that can help control appetite naturally. One is careful control of blood sugar fluctuations and the other is eating high-volume, low-calorie foods.

Cravings are the biggest enemy of any diet and nothing increases cravings more than a roller coaster of blood sugar. You know what it feels like: you eat something high in carbs, your blood sugar shoots up, insulin is released and removes the sugar from your bloodstream until your blood sugar is lower than when you started and now you're ready to kill someone for a bagel.

Interestingly, you never get those cravings when you eat steak and broccoli, do you? That's why choosing really low-glycemic foods is so important. I had a breakfast that consisted of beans and I wasn't hungry for hours afterwards. Anything low-glycemic - vegetables, eggs, beans, etc. - should work. And make sure you're getting enough fat in your meal. This will keep you fuller for longer and is a surefire way to control your appetite (who wants to eat when they're full?). If you stick to the lower end of the glycemic scale, this should help you control cravings and excessive appetite.

High-volume foods are things that fill you up while providing very few calories. These foods usually contain a lot of water. These include foods such as watermelon, cucumber and, of course, soup. For reasons not yet fully understood, the combination of liquid and the typical hearty taste of soup is an appetite killer.

You can combine the best of both worlds - low-glycemic, high-volume meals - by choosing soup that's loaded with vegetables, meat or beans. Other appetite-reducing, high-volume foods include pumpkin and guava, both of which are loaded with fiber and will fill you up very well. There's no great science to back this up, but drinking green tea throughout the day can also help. In addition to having a thermogenic effect, there is anecdotal evidence that around five cups a day can significantly help with weight loss.

Eating for bigger muscles

Q: What is your personal favorite high-protein recipe that would be good for a bodybuilder?

A: I asked my friend Gregg Avedon this question. Gregg has been on the cover of Men's Health more times than any other fitness model and he's also a much better cook than I am. He gave me one of his favorite recipes from his book Muscle Chow.

Post-Workout Egg Salad Sandwich

• 6 hard-boiled eggs (2 whole eggs and 4 egg whites) *
• 1 heaping tablespoon of mustard
• 1 portion of fish oil
• A pinch of black pepper
• Some smoked paprika
• 2 slices of Ezekiel bread
• 50 grams of raisins (only for after training)

Preparation:

1. Mix the eggs, egg whites and mustard in a large bowl. Use a potato masher to break everything into small pieces.
2. Add pepper and paprika and mix well.
3. Spoon the egg salad mixture onto a slice of bread and place another slice of bread on top.
4. Serve the raisins as a side dish to help replenish your muscle glycogen stores more quickly.

* You can increase the amount of protein(and calories) by using 6 whole eggs instead of 2 whole eggs and 4 egg whites.

And if you insist, here's my own (much less creative) favorite high-protein snack:

1. Pour a can of tuna into a bowl
2. Add a stick of diced celery
3. Add a handful of whole or chopped almonds
4. Season everything with lemon pepper, sea salt and turmeric and mix well

References

1 Pelligrini, Seafini, et al "Antioxidant capacity of Plant Foods, Beverages and oils Consumed in Italy Assessed by Three Different Assays", Journal of Nutrition, 133: 2812-2819, September 2003.

This article is intended to serve three purposes:

The first purpose is a kind of refresher course for experienced exercisers. Sure, deep down you'll already know everything presented here, but since it's been a long time since you first read about it, you may have forgotten some of the reasoning behind it. The second purpose is to provide information to readers who have only just moved on from the magazines you find on newsstands. Perhaps these readers have been reading nothing but "Muscle and Fitness" and similar magazines for the past few years and thus know quite little about the science underlying the sport - except perhaps for the "science" of glute training by former Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. Last but not least, this article is also intended for complete beginners who have accidentally landed on this site and initially thought they had landed on a strange planet of weight-training scientists who occasionally use surfer slang. By reading this article, newcomers can slowly acclimatize to the sophisticated atmosphere without being immediately dazzled.

If the saying is true and I am what I eat, then I am a mass monster of protein powder, chicken breast, raw salmon, hard boiled eggs, turkey burgers and the occasional steak. Instead of hair, I have strips of beef jerky on my head. Instead of hands, I have pork knuckles. My butt? Two pieces of grade A sirloin steak. Yes, protein is my passion, my comrade. Even though fat and carbs are also important, they are often just side effects of my foraging. It's the protein content that drives every meal I make - every choice from the menu and every reach into the fridge or pantry.

If it doesn't contain a useful amount of protein, then it won't have the pleasure of making acquaintance with my digestive tract. I'm sure this is similar for pretty much all other strength athletes and bodybuilders. Protein is king, but like many kings before it, it is misunderstood and rumors abound. Hence this article that answers 8 of the most frequently asked questions about protein.

How much protein can I eat at once?

Read any of those bodybuilding or fitness magazines (the difference between these two categories of magazines is that bodybuilding magazines target those who look like they work out, while fitness magazines target those who don't look like they work out) and you'll see the one "truth" regarding nutrition that has stood the test of time "You can only digest 30 grams of protein per meal." Eat more protein at once and you'll overload your poor digestive system. Your guts will rebel and the extra protein will be spit back out like a crumpled bill from a bitchy Coke machine. It's an absolute - like the speed of light.

The problem, however, is that there is absolutely no scientific data to suggest that this 30 gram limit really exists. Where this figure comes from is a question that no one can answer conclusively.

The truth is that no one knows where this limit really lies - it could be 30 grams or it could be 60 or 80 or even 100 or more grams - and whether such a limit exists at all. Much probably depends on things like time of passage through the digestive tract (generally, the slower the better), length of the digestive tract and perhaps even enzyme efficiency.

However, based on what most of us have seen and experienced, there is no reason to believe that your body would have problems coping with quantities of up to 60 grams per meal - especially if those 60 grams are consumed in liquid form (making the protein easier to digest than a large piece of beef).

Are protein bars good sources of protein?

Well, they could be if the manufacturers put a little more effort and intelligence into their products, but unfortunately many do not. Most of us grab a protein bar when we're on the go and lugging around a shaker bottle would be impractical. There are many choices for snacks and our choice is usually most influenced by how much protein such a snack provides. In fact, a real competition has developed around the amount of protein in grams, with each company trying to outdo the others to pack as much protein as possible into their bars.

First there was the 10 gram bar, then the 20 gram bar, then the 30 gram bar and finally even the 40 and 50 gram bars. Soon there will be bars on the market that come with one of those things that used to be used to press gunpowder into the barrel of a cannon.

The problem here is that it is not so easy to pack more and more protein into a bar. This protein acts like sawdust in that it soaks up moisture, often resulting in a bar that resembles what you'd find in a careless dog owner's backyard after a few days in the sun. So to get around this problem, bar manufacturers have started putting gelatin in their bars. This provides moisture and is recognized by food authorities as a source of protein.

Unfortunately, gelatine consists of an incomplete protein that neither contributes to protein synthesis nor prevents protein breakdown and, apart from a generally poor amino acid balance, is completely lacking in one essential amino acid (methionine). So if you look at the list of ingredients of your favorite protein bar and see gelatin in second, third or even fourth place on the list of ingredients, there is a high probability that this bar contains 20 to 30% or more of the protein it contains in the form of worthless gelatin.

Should I use a time-release protein before bedtime?

We once thought that time-release proteins would change the world of bodybuilding. Our theory was that by using these products before bed, you could escape the whole "two steps forward, one step back" tango that normally takes place during sleep. The 6 - 8 hours you spend asleep at night is the longest period of the day during which you don't eat anything - and especially not protein. Let's say you were a good bodybuilder and ate some protein before bed. That's great, but after about 4 hours your body will start to use stored nutrients for energy. Your body will start to draw on glycogen stores from your liver and muscles to meet its glucose and amino acid needs - and this will continue until you get up and eat breakfast.

So, in our naivety, we thought that a time-release protein that would supply the body with amino acids throughout the night would be a great idea. Well, we were guilty of one-dimensional thinking. Instead of looking beyond the horizon, we've only seen a small part of the whole picture. And that's why many manufacturers have tried to develop a time-released protein using a liposomal technology. Eventually we managed to do that, but once we did, we realized that we had something that was actually unnecessary.

Something we hadn't considered changed our way of thinking. Let's say you give someone intravenous amino acids over an extended period of maybe 6 hours. Well, the rate of protein synthesis will increase from the 30 minute mark to the two hour mark. After that, the protein synthesis rate will drop back to baseline. Translation: Keeping your protein intake constantly elevated will not lead to an increased protein synthesis rate. However, if you eat a portion of protein at time zero and then another portion 4 hours later, you will get a strong increase in protein synthesis twice.

Second translation: You need large, phasic protein surges every few hours to maximize protein synthesis.

While it would be nice to have a protein supplement that releases a large amount of protein every 4 hours after consumption like a protein time bomb, this is currently beyond what is possible with today's technologies. So what's a protein lover to do? Well, you really only have one option and that is to drink a protein shake before going to bed and wake up about four hours later and drink another protein shake.

But if that's too cumbersome or pedantic for you, then you can eat some slow-digesting protein like cottage cheese before bed or drink a protein shake consisting of casein and whey protein. Both will achieve the same thing as the slow-release proteins on the market, but at a much lower price.

How much protein should you eat?

The German Nutrition Society says that you only need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. This recommendation also applies to grasshoppers, toasters and tree stumps. As you've probably already guessed, we don't agree with this recommendation. Here's why: by definition, these recommendations apply to roughly 95% of the population. With over 80 million people in Germany, that means there are probably a whole lot of people who need more protein - a lot more - and most of those people are labeled athletes.

However, the German Nutrition Society and other official bodies seem to have had something of a divine inspiration recently and have since grudgingly admitted that athletes might need a bit more protein. They have widened the scale slightly and now recommend that endurance athletes consume between 1.2 and 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight and strength athletes between 1.4 and 1.75 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

Now, that's not bad, but those of us who have been around a little longer have generally observed that profound things happen when you increase your protein intake to 3 to 4.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Muscle bellies get rounder, fat loss increases, stock prices rise and rain showers disappear. Okay, the last two points are of course not meant seriously, but the first two are.

Are there any studies that support these significantly higher recommendations? No. The closest thing to these values are some Romanian studies that suggest that 3.5 to 4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight might work well for shot-putters. Other studies, such as those conducted by Tarnopolsky, suggest that endurance athletes - but not bodybuilders - need about 1.7 times the officially recommended daily protein intake.

Keep in mind, however, that what scientists call "bodybuilding" is the same as what you or I would call warm-up training. In other words, the three sets of bench presses that scientists often use as a training program do not correspond exactly to what most of us do in the gym, which means that such studies will not lead to any realistic results.

Regardless, once you observe over and over again that increased protein intake leads to bigger and stronger muscles, you will almost inevitably come to the conclusion that more - at least up to a point - is better. Our general recommendation for normal phases of training is at least 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight and 3.5 to 4.5 grams per kilogram of body weight during heavy training phases when you want to make rapid progress.

Should I eat soy protein?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration seems to think you should. They allow the following statement on soy products:

"25 grams of soy protein per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."

Unfortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't know - or doesn't dare tell us because of the financial interests of influential soy manufacturers - that soy is probably not all that great when consumed in amounts of 35 grams or more per day. The statement on the effects of soy on health should perhaps read more like this: "25 grams of soy protein per day as part of a generally modest lifestyle can lead to an underactive thyroid, increased estrogen levels, reduced sperm count, testicular cell death and reduced testosterone levels."

Oh yeah, what about that claim about reducing the risk of heart attack? At least one study has shown that soy can lower HDL (good cholesterol) levels and increase lipoprotein levels (lipoprotein levels are considered an indicator of increased risk of heart disease) in healthy men. The main culprit for this is most likely the isoflavones found in soy protein: Daidzein and genistein. And I can't imagine any company making the complicated and expensive attempt to remove these isoflavones from their product. If a company did, the product would probably be so expensive that no one would buy it. Apart from that, soy protein can't hold a candle to proteins like whey protein or casein in terms of anabolic properties. If you are a woman who has already gone through the menopause, then you can eat soy protein without worrying too much about it. Everyone else should stay away from it.

Which is better: casein or whey protein

Now, casein often wins head-to-head races in research studies, but it probably doesn't matter that much whether you're eating casein or whey protein to support your muscle building efforts. I'm of the opinion that if you took 10 clones and trained and lived the same way for a year, you wouldn't see much difference if the only difference was which protein they used.

However, I will admit that studies have shown that consuming casein leads to more protein retention than consuming whey protein. Casein also prevents protein breakdown to a certain extent better than whey protein. When you consume casein, it obviously forms a gel-like mass in your stomach, which means that your body takes longer to absorb the protein, ensuring a fairly long-lasting constant flow of amino acids into your bloodstream.

In contrast, the gastric passage of whey protein is much faster, which leads to an increase in the rate of protein synthesis without altering protein breakdown. Various studies have also shown that casein leads to superior gains in strength compared to whey protein. In addition, casein contains the highest amount of glutamine of any protein source commonly consumed by strength athletes. However, whey protein still has its raison d'être. As mentioned earlier, whey protein is quickly digested and causes a rapid increase in protein synthesis rates, making it the ideal protein source to consume immediately after training. The best advice we can give is to use both casein and whey protein as part of your bodybuilding efforts.

There are so many types of whey protein. Which one is the best?

The average whey protein consumer will likely encounter three different types of whey protein, which differ from each other in how the protein has been processed.

The first of these types is whey protein hydrolysate. Hydrolysate is a protein in which long chains of amino acids have been broken down into either small groups of amino acids or single, free amino acids. When you eat any protein, it will eventually be hydrolyzed in your digestive tract by the appropriate digestive enzymes, as your body cannot absorb complete protein molecules through the gut, only free amino acids or peptides (protein building blocks) consisting of a maximum of 2 to 3 amino acids. If you consume your protein in hydrolyzed form, this means that your digestive tract has been relieved of a lot of work. For this reason, these types of proteins are absorbed by your body much faster than non-hydrolyzed proteins. The second type of whey protein you will find on the market are whey protein isolates and concentrates. Whey protein isolates and concentrates are made from whey using ceramic filters. The end product is a high quality protein that has not been exposed to heat during processing and therefore still has its full immune system supporting properties. The primary difference between isolates and concentrates is a difference in protein, lactose and fat content based on the exact manufacturing process. While whey protein concentrates can contain between 60 and 75% protein and up to 20% carbohydrate, particularly high quality isolates can contain close to 90% protein and less than 5% carbohydrate. The third type of whey protein found on the market is called ion-exchanged whey protein. This is a whey protein that is produced by changing the chemical charges of the protein. Chemicals are used to achieve this, which results in the protein being slightly chemically altered or denatured compared to its natural state, but the end product is the purest of all whey proteins with the highest protein content and the lowest fat and carbohydrate content.

Does it matter what type of whey protein you use?

Probably not, except during the post-workout phase. This is the period when a fast and easily digestible protein such as a whey protein hydrolysate is beneficial.

I keep hearing from supposed nutrition experts that excessive protein consumption can lead to serious health problems. Is this true?

We hear this kind of thing all the time from college freshmen who are just taking their first nutrition class. Most of these claims have something to do with high protein consumption supposedly damaging the kidneys. However, this conclusion is the result of misguided logic. While it is true that a high protein diet is not healthy for people suffering from kidney disease, there is no reason to conclude that the same high protein intake could damage the kidneys of healthy men and women. Think about it this way: if high-protein diets were really damaging to the kidneys, shouldn't we see a higher incidence of kidney damage in athletes who started training with weights and eating a high-protein diet in their fifties, sixties and seventies? This is not the case. High-protein diets are also said to result in calcium being leached from the bones. This is true. However, consuming a single glass of milk per day (or taking an equivalent amount of calcium from other sources) would already provide enough calcium to replace the amount of calcium lost from a high-protein diet.

And last but not least, it is claimed that a high-protein diet correlates with the incidence of heart disease. This may have been true in the days before protein powders existed and strength athletes had to rely solely on large amounts of animal protein, which is often high in saturated fat, but this is no longer the case. There are probably many more frequently asked questions about protein, but we think we've covered the most important ones.

By TC Luoma
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/8-questions-about-protein

Pomegranate: The hard facts

Q: Pomegranate has recently been called "natural Viagra". What's that all about?

A: What's it all about? Rats fed pomegranate extract as part of a scientific experiment showed a spontaneous increase in sexual behavior. The scientists believe that the high antioxidant content in pomegranate juice could help protect against physical damage that can cause erectile dysfunction. A human study conducted by Christopher Forest at the University of California at Los Angeles showed that men who drank 250 ml of pomegranate juice daily for a month were more easily able to achieve an erection, which may be related to the fact that pomegranate juice may improve blood supply to the male genitals. It does this by increasing nitric oxide levels, which relax muscles in the walls of blood vessels.

High fructose corn syrup

Q: It looks like high fructose corn syrup is getting a PR boost. Is high fructose corn syrup really the "sweet surprise" it's being touted as, or is it as bad as we previously believed?

A: The manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup have indeed been battling bad publicity for years. The advertising is everywhere. One of those commercials where a hot girl offers a dorky guy an ice lolly and he stammers something like "But it contains something like high fructose corn syrup" is unfortunately no longer online, which is a real shame. I particularly like the bit where she explains to him, in her best "I'm talking to a slightly retarded adult" tone, that high fructose corn syrup is a natural thing because it's made from corn. And that it is perfectly fine when consumed in moderate amounts. Silly boy.

Now, if this tempting gal offered me a tuber leaf mushroom, I might fall for her too, but that doesn't change the facts - and high fructose corn syrup is still that piss-poor garbage it's always been. But since this topic is causing so much confusion, I'll try to shed some light and clear things up. Several problems come into play here, which overlap with each other.

First things first: in the beginning there was simple table sugar, also known by the scientific name sucrose. Sucrose is a disaccharide, which means that it is made up of two simple saccharides or sugars, which are glucose and fructose. Take one molecule of glucose and one molecule of fructose, join them with a chemical bond and you get one molecule of sucrose. Put a few of these molecules in a bowl, put the bowl on the table with a small spoon and you're in business. It's a generally accepted fact that high sugar consumption is bad for you and a list of all the reasons why is beyond the scope of this article. Let's save that for another day. What's interesting for our purposes is the fact that a huge amount of research has been done detailing which of the two components of table sugar is worse for you - and fructose is the clear "winner." Don't get me wrong: fructose, which is naturally found in an apple, is perfectly fine. But the difference between the fructose in an apple and the fructose in soft drinks is the same difference as the difference between a beautiful pelt on a wild fox and the same pelt on the back of a fat lady at the opera. It is beautiful on its original owner - not so much on the fat lady. In its original environment, fructose is surrounded by healthy nutrients, phytochemicals and fiber. When it's extracted and turned into a liquid sweetener, it's a nightmare.

Interestingly, fructose does not raise blood sugar levels very much, which has led to the absolutely inane idea that fructose is a good sugar for diabetics. However, studies have now shown that fructose leads to insulin resistance. It is also the sugar that raises triglyceride levels the most, which is a serious risk factor for heart disease. In short, this is bad news. There's something else to consider: table sugar is expensive. The average person can afford sugar, but for food manufacturers who want to sweeten their products, table sugar is a high-priced product. This high cost was one of the reasons you couldn't find sugar in every food product you could buy.

Due to situations that involved all kinds of political cronyism and resulted in high sugar prices and corn subsidies, food manufacturers were highly motivated to find a solution to the problem of expensive sugar. Welcome to the world of high fructose corn syrup.

Take a subsidized grain like corn, perform some chemical surgery and voila you have something that is even sweeter than sucrose and costs only a fraction. It can be added to almost anything and makes these foods tastier and, of course, more profitable. This is where things get a little more complicated. Chemically speaking, high fructose corn syrup is not that different from regular table sugar. Just in case you didn't take your ginkgo this morning and have forgotten the first part of this story, it's worth repeating that sucrose is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. High-fructose corn syrup - at least the most common variety you'll find in soft drinks - is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose.

That's not a huge difference, but the problem is that you'll find high-fructose corn syrup everywhere - even in foods that have never been sweetened before. It's the most commonly used sweetener in soft drinks (it's been used in Coca Cola since 1985, for example), and accounts for a double-digit percentage of the calories we consume. A form of high fructose corn syrup used in baked goods contains an even higher percentage of fructose.

So we are consuming more fructose today than ever before. Even though high fructose corn syrup contains only slightly more fructose in percentage terms than table sugar, people who consume a lot of soft drinks can easily consume 20 to 30 grams of additional liquid fructose per day.

The association's advertising campaign promoting the use of high fructose corn syrup includes two arguments:

1. High fructose corn syrup is no worse than sugar. Okay, maybe that's true, but you could just as easily say that Marlboro cigarettes are no worse than Camel cigarettes.
2. High fructose corn syrup is natural because it is made from corn. That may be so, but so is ethanol and I don't drink that either.

Vitamin D

Q: The information about vitamin D from your first interview with T-Nation was fascinating. What are your recommendations? Do we need to supplement more vitamin D in the winter? And how much sun exposure is safe in the summer?

A: If you're a model hanging out by the pool at the Delano Hotel in South Beach all day in August, then you can probably do without your vitamin D pill that day. But for the rest of us, I think vitamin D supplementation is a good idea, even in the summer.

Studies have clearly shown that 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day is perfectly safe and even the very conservative Institute of Medicine considers 2,000 IU to be a safe upper limit. Incidentally, many nutrition experts believe that the safe upper limit is much higher. Ultimately, the body can easily produce 10,000 to 20,000 IU per day with the help of sunlight without any toxic effects on the body. But for legal and political reasons, no more is officially recommended than is considered completely safe and harmless by official bodies. So let's be conservative and count on the 2,000 IU. The potential benefits are so many and the potential risks so small (and purely theoretical anyway) that I see no reason not to take vitamin D even in summer unless you spend a lot of time in the sun every day.

When it comes to how much sun is "safe", the answer depends on who you ask. On the one hand, you have mainstream medicine urging you to slap an SPF 50 on your skin even if you're just going to Starbucks if you don't want to die of skin cancer. On the other hand, there are many people who say that we are too afraid of the sun. I tend to agree with the second group. But make up your own mind. Read the book The UV Advantage by Michael Holick, a professor of medicine and dermatologist who was fired from Boston University after his book was published.

Or read the book Your Best Health Under the Sun, by Al Sears, M.D. Neither of these experts is advocating going back to the days when we spent all day in the sun without protection, but both think we're taking our fear of a little sun exposure a little too far.

The best nuts for healthy nuts

Q: Is there a best nut? I've heard that peanuts are the worst due to allergens. Are walnuts, almonds or macadamia nuts the best?

A: Peanuts are not strictly speaking nuts, but legumes. And they are perfectly fine for you as long as you are not allergic to them. If you have a serious allergy, they can even kill you. Apart from that, they are perfectly fine. They contain some potassium, a few grams of fiber, some iron and even some resveratrol - the anti-aging compound found in the highest concentrations in red wine and grape skins (not to mention some highly concentrated supplements). Walnuts, almonds, macadamias, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans are all real nuts and all of these are great for you if you're not one of those people who are allergic to nuts. All of these nuts have an excellent nutritional profile, although these profiles vary from nut variety to nut variety.

Walnuts are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Most of the fat in the other nuts, as well as peanuts, is monounsaturated and is the same type of fat found in large quantities in the typical Mediterranean diet. Hazelnuts contain beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that can alleviate the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Cashews are loaded with minerals and contain a respectable 5 grams of protein per 30 grams. Pecans contain a ton of minerals combined with three grams of fiber per serving. Pistachios contain one of the highest concentrations of phytosterols of any snack food and also boost immune system function. Brazil nuts are one of the best sources of selenium. Selenium is a superstar mineral and a powerful antioxidant that has been linked to reduced cancer rates.

The bottom line on nuts is this: They're all good. Several of the most important long-term studies, including the Iowa Women's Health Study and the Nurses Health Study, consistently show a 30 to 50 percent lower risk of heart disease when nuts are consumed several times a week. Be guided by your taste preferences. Remember, however, that nuts are very high in calories, so it's important to watch your portion sizes.

The other kind of juice

Q: Over the years, I've tried drinking more juice several times, but I've always ended up quitting because I didn't like the taste. What do you think of juice? And do you have any favorite recipes?

A: I think juicing is a quick and painless way to get a ton of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, phytochemicals and other good stuff that you wouldn't get without juicing.

If you're smart, you can mask some of the flavors you don't like. For example, use some apple or pear as a base and you can easily mask the taste of some nutrient-rich broccoli. The only thing you lose when you use juice is the fiber found in fruits and vegetables. This is a big loss, but you can make up for it through your diet and supplements. This is a good compromise for many people due to the amazing concentration of nutrients in a glass of fresh juice. (Make sure the juice is really fresh. The nutritional components break down quickly, which is why you should drink your juice immediately after making it). Something else to bear in mind if you are diabetic or suffer from insulin resistance is that juices rich in fruit or carrots can raise your blood sugar levels significantly.

Finally, remember that fruit and vegetables contain carotenoids and other valuable phytochemicals that are best absorbed with a little fat. So take a few fish oil capsules with your fruit and vegetable juice or add a dash of organic linseed oil to your juice. You won't notice the taste and you'll absorb the nutrients better.

My favorite combinations include:

• Pear, celery, cucumber, ginger
• Apple, spinach, carrot, ginger
• Bell bell pepper, apple, radish, tomato, frozen cranberries

Mix and experiment.

The magic fruit ...

Q: I've always avoided beans because of their carbohydrate content. But in your book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, you mention that beans are the ultimate blood sugar regulator. So are beans good or not? And is there a best kind of bean?

A: Beans are a great thing. Remember that it's not just about the carbohydrate content, but also whether they are fast or slow digesting carbohydrates. Beans contain such slow-digesting carbohydrates that if you eat beans on a Monday morning, your blood sugar won't spike until Tuesday night. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but the carbohydrates in beans are digested more slowly than most other carbohydrates. Part of this is due to the high fiber content, which is between 11 and 17 grams per serving.

Beans contain all kinds of compounds that prevent cancer cells from multiplying or protect your cells from certain types of genetic damage that can lead to cancer. One study showed that men who consumed the most beans had a 38 percent lower risk of prostate cancer. The Nurses Health Study showed that women who ate the most beans or lentils had a significantly reduced risk of breast cancer. And it only took two or more servings per week to reap these benefits.

I see different types of beans as more or less interchangeable from a nutritional standpoint, even though some beans like adzuko beans contain more fiber than other beans. All types of beans are good, but if you buy canned beans, check the label for added sugar and added salt. Some brands are overloaded with both. One dissenting opinion on beans in general, from my respected colleague Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes, is worth noting. He is concerned about substances found in beans known collectively as lectins. Lectins are a mixture of protein and carbohydrates that are not digested and broken down and can bind to tissue types in the body, which can cause problems in people who are susceptible to them. This is why all types of beans are on his list of foods to avoid, along with grains.

I think Cordain is a very smart guy, but I don't agree with all of his recommendations. Obviously some people might have problems with beans, but if you're not one of those people, I don't think you need to worry about this. (Incidentally, Cordain's list of foods to avoid includes eggs). A final thought: eating beans is a dietary habit shared by people in three of the four "blue" zones - the parts of the world where people live the longest. This information comes from the book by Dan Buettner, who studied the eating habits and lifestyles of people living in these regions, who live the longest and healthiest lives on the planet.

References

1 Khan, MS, PhD, Alam, Safdar, MS, Mahpara, Ali Khan, MS, PhD, Mohammad Muzaffar, Khattak, MS, Khan Nawaz, and Anderson, PhD, Richard A. "Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes." Diabetes Care 26(2003): 3215-3218.