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The ability to fully digest and absorb protein means the difference between killing or maximizing muscle gains and fat loss, as well as your overall hormonal balances, energy levels, inflammation, and health.
So, understanding exactly how it works and how to keep it, or get it, working properly is very important.
Let’s look at this.
When you consume food, you chew it and it goes into your stomach.
Here we see mostly protein digestion, with fats and carbs mainly digested in the small intestine.
This is the third article in a series on Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Sugar and Body Fat, as a well as an overall series on hormones, so stay tuned! (See the first article here.)
Alright, so we know that when sugar comes into the body Insulin is released to shuttle that sugar into the cell. And if the cell is full, then it connects the sugars in chains and stores them as something called Glycogen in your muscle and liver cells for use later on...
The study was a comparative study and determined the percentage of amino acid utilization, also known as net nitrogen utilization. It was conducted on 66 subjects, over a 12-week period, where they were alternately given a specific amino acid formula. Then compared to amino acid formulas based on other dietary proteins, such as eggs.
This study showed a considerable amount of nitrogen waste from the dietary proteins, and confirmed the discovery of a unique pattern of essential amino acids (PA) for human nutrition, capable of inducing an Amino Acid Utilization (AAU) that was extremely effective.
My practice has a strong interest in the effect of protein on the overall health of autistic children. Many autistic children are sensitive to textures and smells, and most don’t like meat, fish, or eggs; they like French fries. They often have a horrible diet, and it’s not because their parents don’t try their best—the kids simply won’t eat it. If they dislike the texture, they won’t eat it, and you can’t force a two-year-old to eat!
We’ve found that autistic kids are loaded with environmental toxins. These are often acquired from their mothers in the womb, as it is known that the mother will “detox” into the placenta, and then into the baby. Then, after birth, heavy amounts of substances like mercury, aluminum, and formaldehyde enter their system from vaccinations, which adds to the load. Newborns suck on plastic bottle nipples and pacifiers; chemically-laced, flame retardant parts on their cribs; and GMO laden baby cereals laced with pesticides. When they get older, they crawl around on the floor and in the grass, and they’re exposed to more chemicals and pesticides. They don’t stand a chance! Children’s systems are overwhelmed the moment their lives begin, and if they lack good nutrition, they will exhibit developmental delays and may not be able to adequately detoxify to maintain their health.
It’s not unexpected that protein problems affect the elderly, and we address this at my clinic, LifeWorks Wellness Center, through an antiaging practice. Many older people come to us and say, “My memory isn’t great, and I don’t have energy like I used to. Can you help me?” People don’t want to feel or “act” old, and amino acid supplementation can help.
Part of the breakdown that is experienced in old age is often related to poor nutrition. Some of the elderly can’t afford a high-nutrition diet, and some simply don’t know what good nutrition looks like—they don’t eat well or don’t supplement correctly. Breakfast might be a bowl of Corn Flakes with a cup of coffee and that meal doesn’t provide strength or fuel for the body. This lack of nutrition leads to the body becoming weak, and the person becomes symptomatic—they don’t function as well as they used to. Part of this problem can be attributed to low amino acid levels, which leads to low levels of hormones, neurotransmitters, bone loss, and loss of muscle strength.
Since taking up running 14 years ago, I’ve been considered a masters (those over 40) runner for nearly 9 of those years. I was a little late to the game by taking up the sport at almost 35. When I turned 40, it was like being reborn. Not only was I entering a new age group, I was entering a whole new world of awards and respect.
Some races offer a separate category of “age-graded” results which makes it fun to see how older athletes stack up against those in their younger years. One of my favorite masters results is when 98-year-old George Etzweiler won the 2018 Mount Washington Road Race age-graded category and the prize money that comes with it. As of this writing, George is 101 years young and still running!
While most protein products are marketed toward men and bodybuilding, the protein problem affects women in many specific ways. These include osteoporosis, hormone deficiency, beauty concerns such as sagging skin and wrinkles, loss of muscle mass, and problems during menopause.
If you believe what commercials say on TV, taking calcium is the solution to osteoporosis just take it and you’ll be fine. If that doesn’t work, they suggest taking a bisphosphonate drug. This medication will make your bones look better on a density scan, but in reality, it makes them very fragile.
