308 THE (HINA STUDYWhat's amazing is that I could put together a variety of menus, all
drenched in animal foods and added sugars, that conform to these rec-
ommended daily allowances. At this point in the book, I don't need to
tell you that when we eat a diet like this day in and day out, we will be
not just marching, but sprinting into the arms of chronic disease. In sad
fact, this is what a large proportion of our population already does.PROTEIN
Perhaps the most shocking figure is the upper limit on protein intake.
Relative to total calorie intake, only 5-6% dietary protein is required
to replace the protein regularly excreted by the body (as amino acids).
About 9-10% protein, however, is the amount that has been recom-
mended for the past fifty years to be assured that most people at least get
their 5-6% "requirement." This 9-10% recommendation is equivalent
to the well-known recommended daily allowance, or RDA.5
Almost all Americans exceed this 9-10% recommendation; we con-
sume protein within the range of about 11-21 %, with an average of about
15-16%.6 The relatively few people consuming more than 21% protein
mostly are those who "pump iron," recently joined by those on high-pro-
tein diets.
It is extremely puzzling that these new government-sponsored 2002
FNB recommendations now say that we should be able to consume
protein up to the extraordinary level of 35% as a means of minimizing
chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. This is an unbelievable
travesty, considering the scientific evidence. The evidence presented
in this book shows that increasing dietary protein within the range of
about 10-20% is associated with a broad array of health problems, espe-
cially when most of the protein is from animal sources.
As reviewed earlier in this book, diets with more animal-based
protein will create higher blood cholesterol levels and higher risks of
atherosclerosis, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease and kidney
stones, to name just a few chronic diseases that the FNB committee
mysteriously chooses to ignore.
Furthermore, the FNB panel had the audacity to say that this 10-35%
recommendation range is the same as previous reports. Their press re-
lease clearly states, "protein intake recommendations are the same [as
previous reports J." I know of no report that has even remotely suggested a
level as high as this.
When I initially saw this protein recommendation, I honestly thought