Protein must be a part of a healthy diet for a simple reason:
it is essential for life. Every single cell in the human body
-- including bones, blood, skin, chemicals, and enzymes --
depend on protein for effective operation.[i]
Yet while Americans are more health-conscious than ever before,
the national health dialogue continues to be dominated by a
cynical theme: malnutrition. Many Americans are suffering the
ill-health effects of a diet that is too high in saturated
fat[ii], carbohydrates[iii], and calories[iv], while severely
lacking in protein.
This wave of malnutrition is not merely disconcerting to medical
professionals. It is alarming. The situation has become so
desperate that obesity will soon become the nation’s leading
cause of preventable death.[v]
America’s nutritional dilemma is not, however, limited to
obesity concerns. Malnutrition in non-overweight individuals is
nearing epidemic levels. Millions of “fit looking” individuals
subsist on a diet that is far too rich in carbohydrates a
problem that has been enhanced for generations by the US FDA’s
encouragement of refined carbohydrates as part of a balanced
diet. We now know, however, that many of these refined
carbohydrates are metabolically similar to candies and sweets.
Added to this problem is that saturated fats continue to
dominate many meals, particular those served in fast food
restaurants.
Essentially then, the problem in America can be summed up
as this: eat right or prepare to suffer shape up, or die a
preventable death.
The first step in balancing America’s eating practices is to
reintroduce the importance of protein. This neglect is all the
more stunning given that, of the three major macronutrients –
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins – proteins are the only
essential component that human beings cannot live without.
Reintroducing protein as part of a healthy diet is made more
difficult because many consumers do not know where to find a
healthy source of protein. Unfortunately, most nutritional
supplement sources bring with them a range unwanted
carbohydrates, facts, and calories. Powerbar™, the “granddaddy”
of nutritional supplements launched in 1987, has been rejected
as an option by some consumers and health professionals because
of high carbohydrate levels (45 grams), and low protein levels
(10 grams) in each serving. Furthermore, dieters in particular
have criticized Powerbar’s™ high 230 calories per bar –-more
than 1/10th of the recommended caloric intake.
Other attempts to meet consumer demand for a high protein, low
carbohydrate, low fat, and low calorie nutritional supplement
have been supplied by products such as the York Bar™, the Blast
Bar™, and the Ironman Bar™, respectively. However, each product
has been judged by some consumers and medical professionals as
having have similar Powerbar™-like drawbacks: high calorie
levels (210, 180, 230 grams respectively), high carbohydrate
levels (30, 36, and 51 grams, respectively), and most notably
of all, low protein content (7, 10, and 4 grams, respectively).
While these products have certainly helped more people “think”
about eating healthier, they have not, respectively, met the
rigorous consumer expectation for a low carbohydrate, low
calorie, low fat, and high protein nutritional supplement.
However, there is a product in the market today called Profect®
that is receiving significant credible attention from both the
consumer and medical communities.
Profect, a product of Pennsylvania-based Protica, Inc.
(http://www.protica.com), provides 25 grams of protein in each
fat-free, carbohydrate-free 100-calorie serving. Profect also
offers a range of essential nutrients in each serving, including
100% of vitamin C and 50% of B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Biotin and
Folic Acid. All of this is delivered to consumers in a 2.7-ounce
container designed to be virtually indestructible. The container
also serves to increase storage life and heat resistance.
The debate for America’s protein and diet IQ will not begin
with what is placed on a dinner table, or what is offered at
a fast food restaurant. This is where the debate will end.
Where it begins will be in the minds of consumers and medical
professionals everywhere. High quality, accurate, and
scientifically validated information is required to carefully
choose a protein-rich balanced approach. For a growing number of
investigative consumers, that solution centers around products
like Profect.
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References
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[i] Source: “The Benefits of Protein”. WebMD.
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/85/98824.htm
[ii] Source: The Center for Disease Control.
[iii] Source: “Building a Better American Diet: School of Harvard
Gazette Archives Public Health Conference Looks at Science Behind
Diet Recommendations”.
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/09.18/15-foodpyramid.html
[iv] Source: “CDC: Americans Eating More than Ever”. CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/02/05/more.calories.ap
[v] Source: “Why Is America So Fat?”. CBS News.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/12/60II/main628877.shtml
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