bile ducts are congested with stones, this also greatly diminishes the liver's ability to break down proteins.
The same applies to people who regularly eat too many proteins. In all these situations, the extra protein
not broken down and eliminated by the liver is instead absorbed by the connective tissue under the skin,
which for the short-term is the least harmful solution. It will also end up in the intercellular, connective
tissue of the organs, which can potentially be fatal. If large amounts of food protein are continuously
ingested, the intercellular connective tissue and basal membranes of the capillaries start filling up with
protein and begin to thicken. Unless protein intake is discontinued, the cells of the capillary walls become
progressively weaker and damaged. The body responds with inflammation to help destroy damaged cells
and remove dead cells. The inflammatory response, though, has side effects. This is the beginning stage of
diet-caused arteriosclerosis.
It was first discovered in 1955 that people who avoid eating animal protein for a certain length of time
do not produce extra urea following their first few protein meals. Urea results from the breakdown of
protein in the body. The lack of extra urea means that their connective tissues contain no abnormal
amounts of protein yet. The blood levels also rise with protein consumption. A blood urea nitrogen
(BUN) test measures the amount of nitrogen in the blood that comes from urea. This test is done to see
how well the kidneys are working. If the kidneys are not able to remove all urea from the blood normally,
the BUN level rises. A diet high in protein makes the BUN level higher, which can easily overtax the
kidneys. Vegetarians whose source of protein is purely vegetarian, such as grains, legumes, nuts, seeds,
etc. rarely have high BUN levels. Because they hardly ever develop a surplus of protein in the connective
tissues and blood vessel walls, their risk of developing atherosclerotic deposits is virtually non-existent.
This has been confirmed by the American Medical Association.
It is a commonly accepted medical theory that all unused calories, whether they occur in the form of
carbohydrates, fat, or protein, are converted into fat and deposited in the body's fat cells. This would make
fat to be the only storage molecule responsible for obesity and related illnesses, including coronary heart
disease and Type 2 diabetes (see chapter 11). Yet there is overwhelming evidence to show that stored fat
alone cannot be held responsible for causing coronary heart disease. The only other substance that the
body can store in large amounts is protein. And much of it ends up in the blood vessel walls.
It is important to know that proteins accumulating in the wrong places can be fatal. In 1961, research
published by a journal of the American Medical Association showed that even the body's own blood
proteins, which continuously enter the connective tissue of organs and systems, can kill a person within
24 hours if they are not swiftly removed and returned to the blood stream by the lymphatic system. If the
lymphatic system is severely congested, these proteins have to be also stored in the basal membranes of
the blood vessel walls.
A well-trained athlete can utilize no more than 40 grams of protein per day. The average American eats
up to 200 grams of protein per day. The body converts any proteins it cannot store in the blood vessel
walls into nitric, sulfuric and phosphoric acids, similar to the acids found in your car battery. This is very
likely to occur if more than 30-40 grams of protein is eaten each day. The kidneys try to eliminate some
of these strong acids by attaching a basic mineral to every acid molecule. As a result, the major basic
minerals sodium, potassium, magnesium as well as others become depleted. All this pushes your body
toward an incidence of acidosis, which is another name for a toxicity crisis. Heart disease is a typical
symptom of chronic acidosis.
Protein Storage—A Time Bomb
Obese people have both high concentrations of fats and excessive amounts of protein in the blood. The
blood's tendency towards clotting, considered to be the greatest cause for heart attack or stroke, stems