Health Journal Online

Tag: Protein

  • Protein & GI issues in cancer

    Protein & GI issues in cancer

    Earlier this year, Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition, Valaree Williams presented “Managing gastrointestinal disturbances in cancer patients: Strategies for optimizing patient care.” Valaree is back to talk about the importance of protein for those going through cancer treatment and to continue answering YOUR questions from the webinar. Tune in to learn ways to make protein foods appealing when taste and appetite have been impacted by cancer treatment, how to address swallowing issues, and nuanced recommendations for diarrhea and constipation– there may be a case for marshmallows…​​

    Hosted by Kristin Houts

    Biography

    Valaree Williams, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN, CNSC, FAND, became a registered dietitian nutritionist in 2006 and has focused many years of her work on the provision of nutrition care to patients with cancer. She is currently employed as a clinical dietitian at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Middletown, New Jersey. Valaree serves in volunteer roles for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Commission on Dietetic Registration, and ASPEN, where she currently serves as the chair for CDR. Additionally, she has contributed to several oncology nutrition publications. 

    In this episode, we discuss:

    • Protein recommendations for cancer patients​

    • Modifications to meals and snacks for those with swallowing difficulty​

    • Fiber’s role in the management of treatment-induced diarrhea and constipation​

    • The collaborative nature of cancer care and integral role of the dietitian on a medical team

    Additional resources

    In case you missed it, you can watch Valaree’s presentation “Managing gastrointestinal disturbances in cancer patients: Strategies for optimizing patient care” here.​

    Supported by 

    The content, products and/or services referred to in this podcast are intended for Health Care Professionals only and are not, and are not intended to be, medical advice, which should be tailored to your individual circumstances. The content is for your information only, and we advise that you exercise your own judgement before deciding to use the information provided. Professional medical advice should be obtained before taking action. The reference to particular products and/or services in this episode does not constitute any form of endorsement. Please see  here  for terms and conditions.

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  • The Ultimate Protein Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Muscle Growth and Strength

    The Ultimate Protein Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Muscle Growth and Strength

    Building the Foundation: Understanding the Importance of Protein for Muscle Growth and Strength

    When it comes to building muscle and increasing strength, protein is often the most overlooked yet crucial component of a successful workout routine. As the building block of muscle tissue, protein plays a vital role in facilitating muscle growth, repair, and recovery. Without sufficient protein intake, it’s challenging to achieve significant gains in muscle mass and strength. In this article, we’ll delve into the world of protein and provide a step-by-step guide on how to create the ultimate protein plan for muscle growth and strength.

    Step 1: Determine Your Daily Protein Needs

    Before diving into the world of protein, it’s essential to understand how much protein you need to consume daily. The general recommendation is to consume 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 70 kilograms, you should aim to consume 84-112 grams of protein per day. However, if you’re an athlete or serious weightlifter, you may need to consume more protein to support muscle growth and recovery.

    Step 2: Choose the Right Protein Sources

    When it comes to protein sources, there are numerous options to choose from. Here are some of the most effective protein sources for muscle growth and strength:

    • Lean Meats: Chicken breast, turkey breast, lean beef, and pork tenderloin are all excellent sources of protein.

    • Fish and Seafood: Salmon, tilapia, shrimp, and cod are rich in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.

    • Eggs: Eggs are an excellent source of protein and can be consumed in a variety of ways, including scrambled, fried, or boiled.

    • Dairy: Milk, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese are all high in protein and can be easily incorporated into your diet.

    • Plant-Based Options: Legumes, beans, lentils, and tofu are all plant-based protein sources that can be used as alternatives to animal-based protein sources.

    Step 3: Incorporate Protein into Your Diet

    Now that you’ve determined your daily protein needs and chosen the right protein sources, it’s time to incorporate protein into your diet. Here are some tips to help you get started:

    • Eat Protein with Every Meal: Aim to consume protein with every meal to ensure you’re meeting your daily protein needs.

    • Spread Out Your Protein Intake: Instead of consuming all your protein in one meal, try to spread it out throughout the day.

    • Use Protein Supplements: If you’re struggling to get enough protein from whole food sources, consider using protein supplements such as whey protein or casein protein.

    Step 4: Timing is Everything

    When it comes to protein timing, it’s essential to consume protein at the right times to maximize muscle growth and recovery. Here are some tips to help you optimize your protein timing:

    • Post-Workout Protein: Consume protein within 30-60 minutes after your workout to help promote muscle recovery and growth.

    • Pre-Workout Protein: Consume protein 30-60 minutes before your workout to help increase muscle strength and endurance.

    • Bedtime Protein: Consume protein before bed to help promote muscle recovery and growth during sleep.

    Step 5: Monitor Your Progress

    The final step in creating the ultimate protein plan is to monitor your progress. Here are some tips to help you track your progress:

    • Track Your Protein Intake: Use a food diary or mobile app to track your protein intake and ensure you’re meeting your daily protein needs.

    • Monitor Your Muscle Mass: Use body fat calipers or a body composition scale to track changes in your muscle mass.

    • Monitor Your Strength: Use a weightlifting log or mobile app to track changes in your strength.

    Conclusion

    Creating the ultimate protein plan for muscle growth and strength requires a combination of the right protein sources, adequate protein intake, and optimal protein timing. By following the steps outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to building the muscle mass and strength you desire. Remember to stay consistent, patient, and committed to your protein plan, and you’ll be amazed at the results you achieve.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: How much protein do I need to consume daily?
    A: The general recommendation is to consume 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

    Q: What are the best protein sources for muscle growth and strength?
    A: Lean meats, fish and seafood, eggs, dairy, and plant-based options are all excellent sources of protein.

    Q: Can I consume too much protein?
    A: While it’s unlikely to consume too much protein, excessive protein intake can lead to kidney strain and other health issues. Aim to consume 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

    Q: Can I use protein supplements to meet my daily protein needs?
    A: Yes, protein supplements such as whey protein and casein protein can be used to supplement your daily protein intake. However, it’s essential to consume whole food sources of protein as well.

    Q: How often should I consume protein?
    A: Aim to consume protein with every meal, and consider consuming protein 30-60 minutes before and after your workout.

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  • Are you getting enough protein?

    Are you getting enough protein?

    What’s included:
    ✓     Why protein is important
    ✓     Food source vs protein content
    ✓     Table to estimate protein intake

    The patient resources are not, and are not intended to be, medical advice, which should be tailored to your individual circumstances.  The patient resources are for your information only, and we advise that you exercise your own judgment before deciding to use the information provided. Professional medical advice should be obtained before taking action.  Please see here for terms and conditions.

    Please note that all of our resources must be used in full and are unable to be personalised or customised.

     

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  • 10 ways to get more protein

    10 ways to get more protein

    What’s included:
    ✓     10 tips for eating more protein

    The patient resources are not, and are not intended to be, medical advice, which should be tailored to your individual circumstances.  The patient resources are for your information only, and we advise that you exercise your own judgment before deciding to use the information provided. Professional medical advice should be obtained before taking action.  Please see here for terms and conditions.

    Please note that all of our resources must be used in full and are unable to be personalised or customised.

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  • What About Animal Protein and Vegetarians’ Stroke Risk? 

    What About Animal Protein and Vegetarians’ Stroke Risk? 

    Might animal protein-induced increases in the cancer-promoting growth hormone IGF-1 help promote brain artery integrity? 

    In 2014, a study on stroke risk and dietary protein found that greater intake was associated with lower stroke risk and, further, that the animal protein appeared particularly protective. Might that help explain why, as shown in the graph below and at 0:31 in my video Vegetarians and Stroke Risk Factors: Animal Protein?, vegetarians were recently found to have a higher stroke rate than meat eaters?

    Animal protein consumption increases the levels of a cancer-promoting growth hormone in the body known as IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor 1, which “accelerates the progression of precancerous changes to invasive lesions.” High blood concentrations are associated with increased risks of breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers, potentially explaining the association between dairy milk intake and prostate cancer risk, for example. However, there are also IGF-1 receptors on blood vessels, so perhaps IGF-1 promotes cancer and brain artery integrity.

    People who have strokes appear to have lower blood levels of IGF-1, but it could just be a consequence of the stroke rather than the cause. There weren’t any prospective studies over time until 2017 when researchers found that, indeed, higher IGF-1 levels were linked to a lower risk of stroke—but is it cause and effect? In mice, the answer seems to be yes, and in a petri dish, IGF-1 appears to boost the production of elastin, a stretchy protein that helps keep our arteries elastic. As you can see in the graph below and at 1:41 in my video, higher IGF-1 levels are associated with less artery stiffness, but people with acromegaly, like Andre the Giant, those with excessive levels of growth hormones like IGF-1, do not appear to have lower stroke rates, and a more recent study of dietary protein intake and risk of stroke that looked at a dozen studies of more than half a million people (compared to only seven studies with a quarter million in the previous analysis), found no association between dietary protein intake and the risk of stroke. If anything, dietary plant protein intake may decrease the risk of stroke. 

    However, those with high blood pressure who have low IGF-1 levels do appear to be at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis, which is the thickening of the artery walls leading up to the brain, but no such association was found in people with normal blood pressure. So, there may be “a cautionary lesson for vegans” here. Yes, a whole food, plant-based diet “can down-regulate IGF-1 activity” and may slow the human aging process, not to mention reduce the risk of some of the common cancers that plague the Western world. But, “perhaps the ‘take-home’ lesson should be that people who undertake to down-regulate IGF-1 activity [by cutting down on animal protein intake] as a pro-longevity measure should take particular care to control their blood pressure and preserve their cerebrovascular health [the health of the arteries in their brain] – in particular, they should keep salt intake relatively low while insuring an ample intake of potassium” to keep their blood pressures down. So, that means avoiding processed foods and avoiding added salt, and, in terms of potassium-rich foods, eating beans, sweet potatoes, and dark-green leafy vegetables. 

    Might this explain the higher stroke risk found among vegetarians? No—because dairy and egg whites are animal proteins, too. Only vegans have lower IGF-1 levels in both men and women, so low levels of IGF-1 can’t explain why higher rates of stroke were found in vegetarians. Then what is it? I think the best explanation for the mystery is something called homocysteine, which I cover next. 

    If you aren’t familiar with IGF-1, my videos Flashback Friday: Animal Protein Compared to Cigarette Smoking and How Not to Die from Cancer are good primers. 

    Beyond eating a plant-based diet, how else can we lower our blood pressure? Check out the chapter of hypertension in my book How Not to Die at your local public library. 

    This is the eighth video in a 12-part series on vegetarians’ stroke risk. If you missed any of the previous ones, check out the related posts below.

    Coming up, we turn to what I think is actually going on:



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  • Tumor suppressor protein Par-4 triggers unique cell death pathway in cancerous cells

    Tumor suppressor protein Par-4 triggers unique cell death pathway in cancerous cells

    A team of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi, led by Professor Sehamuddin Galadari, has discovered that the tumor suppressor protein Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) can cause a unique type of cell death called ferroptosis in human glioblastoma — the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor — while sparing healthy cells. This new understanding has the potential to inform the development of novel treatments for various hard-to-treat cancers and neurodegenerative diseases.

    Ferroptosis is triggered by the iron-mediated production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent lipid peroxidation, which plays a crucial role in shrinking cancerous tumors. This is the first time that Par-4, already known for killing cancer cells through apoptosis — a form of programmed cell death — has been shown to promote ferroptosis in glioblastoma cells.

    The tumor suppressor protein Par-4 is widely expressed across species, but is often reduced, mutated, or inactivated in the presence of various cancers. In the study “Tumor suppressor Par-4 activates autophagy-dependent ferroptosis,” recently published in the journal Communications Biology, the researchers identified that Par-4 plays an unanticipated role in promoting ferroptosis-mediated cancer regression. They demonstrated that Par-4 triggers the activation of ferritinophagy (autophagic degradation of ferritin) through the nuclear receptor co-activator 4 (NCOA4). This activation is necessary for the accumulation of the labile iron pool, the production of ROS, and the subsequent lipid peroxidation, all of which lead to ferroptosis.

    Ferroptosis plays a key role in various health issues, such as cancer, heart disease, brain damage, kidney failure, lung injury, and diseases like Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Alzheimer’s. The identification of Par-4 as a key player in ferroptosis is essential, as it is involved in the main processes and signals that make this alternative cell death pathway, ferroptosis, occur. Many types of cancer cells don’t respond to today’s treatments or have developed resistance to existing drugs therapies.

    This research was a collaborative effort between Associate Professor Mazin Magzoub’s lab at NYU Abu Dhabi and Professor Vivek M. Rangnekar from the University of Kentucky, who discovered Par-4 in 1993.

    “Our team’s discovery that Par-4 triggers ferroptosis is a breakthrough in the field of cancer treatment development,” said Galadari, who is the Senior Vice Provost for Research and Managing Director of the Research Institute at NYU Abu Dhabi. “Developing methods to activate alternative cell death pathways presents new opportunities for the creation of more potent and effective therapies for glioblastoma and other deadly and debilitating diseases.”

    “Investing in research at institutions such as NYUAD is instrumental in transforming the UAE into a knowledge-based economy that attracts local, regional, and global talent — a symbiotic relationship that creates opportunities, knowledge, and wealth,” Galadari added.

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