More on the Myth of Protein Consumption Harming the Kidney

"Good Calories, Bad Calories" Gary Taubes
2007

Page 323
======================== Quote =====================================
Nutritionists of the era [1920's] assumed that all-meat diets were
unhealthy because 1) excessive meat consumption was alleged to rais
blood pressure and cause gout;(2) the monotony of eating only meat - or
any other single food - was said to induce a physical sense of
revulsion; (3) the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables in these diets
would cause scruvy and other deficiency diseases; and (4) protein-rich
diets were thought to induce CHRONIC KIDNEY DAMAGE [emphasis added,
Jim]; a belief based largely on early research by Louis Newburgh.

None of these claims were based on compelling evidence. Newburgh, for
instance, had based his conclusions largely on experiments in which he
fed excessive quantities of soybean, egg whites and beef protein to
rabbits, which, as critics would later observe, happen to be herbivores.
Their natural diet is buds and bark, not their fellow animals, and so
there was little scientific value in force-feeding them meat or animal
protein.

Nonetheless, the dangers of an all-meat diet were considered
sufficiently likely that even Francis Benedict, as Steffansson told it,
claimed that it was "easier to believe" that Steffansson and all the
vvarious members of his [polar - Inuit] expiditions "were lying [about
the Inuit meat diet that they ate] than to concede that they had
remained in good health for several years on an exclusive meat regimen".
======================End Quote ================================

Once again, this "protein harms the kidney" myth comes up. It seemingly
never will die, because it is alive and thriving today.

I can't find it right now, but when confronted with some data from
Gerald Reaven that high carbohydrate diets might not be ideal for Type 2
diabetics....[insulin resistance - associated with carbohydrate
digestion in diabetics]

PAGE 184
================ Begin Quote ===============

....... But they placed nutritionists in an awkward position. "High
Protein levels can be BAD FOR THE KIDNEYS [emphasis added]", said
Silverman. "High fat is bad for your heart. Now reaven is saying not to
eat high carbohydrates. We have to eat something." "sometimes we wish it
would go away," Silverman added, "Because nobody know how to deal with it."

================ End Quote ===========

We know that because protein is BAD FOR THE KIDNEYS, then, eventually
the American Diabetic Association went for the high carbohydrate diet.

Bunch of bull....... about kidney and protein is still alive and
destroying people today.

I have never seen so much rotten "science". It goes on and on.

Jim wrote:

:: I have never seen so much rotten "science". It goes on and on.

Taubes should have named his book "Rotten Calories".

On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:21:16 -0500, Jim wrote:
"Good Calories, Bad Calories" Gary Taubes 2007

Page 323
======================== Quote =====================================
Nutritionists of the era [1920's] assumed that all-meat diets were
unhealthy because 1) excessive meat consumption was alleged to rais
blood pressure and cause gout;(2) the monotony of eating only meat - or
any other single food - was said to induce a physical sense of
revulsion; (3) the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables in these diets
would cause scruvy and other deficiency diseases; and (4) protein-rich
diets were thought to induce CHRONIC KIDNEY DAMAGE [emphasis added,
Jim]; a belief based largely on early research by Louis Newburgh.

- snipped

C'mon, there's no way that inertia from the 1920s has overcome
all the study and practice of the intervening years. Doctors
have patients with failing kidneys now; they can see what diet
improves / worsens conditions. Quotes like this, where Taub just
debunks poorly-based old beliefs -- if that's all he's got,
he looks like he's boxing at shadows.

Jean Genie wrote:
On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:21:16 -0500, Jim wrote:

"Good Calories, Bad Calories" Gary Taubes 2007

Page 323
======================== Quote =====================================
Nutritionists of the era [1920's] assumed that all-meat diets were
unhealthy because 1) excessive meat consumption was alleged to rais
blood pressure and cause gout;(2) the monotony of eating only meat - or
any other single food - was said to induce a physical sense of
revulsion; (3) the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables in these diets
would cause scruvy and other deficiency diseases; and (4) protein-rich
diets were thought to induce CHRONIC KIDNEY DAMAGE [emphasis added,
Jim]; a belief based largely on early research by Louis Newburgh.


- snipped

C'mon, there's no way that inertia from the 1920s has overcome
all the study and practice of the intervening years. Doctors
have patients with failing kidneys now; they can see what diet
improves / worsens conditions. Quotes like this, where Taub just
debunks poorly-based old beliefs -- if that's all he's got,
he looks like he's boxing at shadows.



Some people read a book. Some read snippets and think they are smarter.

I doubt that you read the book in question.

The KIDNEY DAMAGE from protein mentality is alive and well today.

Yes, you are right, nephrologists (I just saw one) who study and treat
the kidney aren't as backwards as other parts of the diet-health
industry. That doesn't stop the backwards diet-health parts from being
backwards if it suits them.

One of the frequent "killer" points still used against the low-carb
dieters is that the protein will injure your kidneys. Not long ago, a
dietitian (with various letters behind her name) made that firm
pronouncement to me in a discussion on weight loss.

On Oct 22, 1:51 am, Jean Genie wrote:
On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:21:16 -0500, Jim wrote:
"Good Calories, Bad Calories" Gary Taubes 2007

Page 323
======================== Quote =====================================
Nutritionists of the era [1920's] assumed that all-meat diets were
unhealthy because 1) excessive meat consumption was alleged to rais
blood pressure and cause gout;(2) the monotony of eating only meat - or
any other single food - was said to induce a physical sense of
revulsion; (3) the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables in these diets
would cause scruvy and other deficiency diseases; and (4) protein-rich
diets were thought to induce CHRONIC KIDNEY DAMAGE [emphasis added,
Jim]; a belief based largely on early research by Louis Newburgh.

- snipped

C'mon, there's no way that inertia from the 1920s has overcome
all the study and practice of the intervening years. Doctors
have patients with failing kidneys now; they can see what diet
improves / worsens conditions. Quotes like this, where Taub just
debunks poorly-based old beliefs -- if that's all he's got,
he looks like he's boxing at shadows.

The question of what causes a damaged kidney is inherently different
from
the question of what to eat once you have screwed up your kidneys. The
latests research says that upping protein in a healthy kidney doesn't
hurt
the kidney and what they used to take as a marker of a kidney in the
process of getting damaged is actually not a problem, any more than
the
strengthening of the heart muscle that occurs with regular exercise.

Someone who already has impaired kidney function probably shouldn't
take a lot of protein on. But that's a capacity issue. It's not a
problem for
the large majority of us with functioning kidneys.

The guy's name is Taubes. You might read the book before you dump on
it. It's not much like shadow boxing at all.

Jim wrote:

One of the frequent "killer" points still used against the low-carb
dieters is that the protein will injure your kidneys.

What the point kills is the reputation on the person stating it.
There are certain bullet points that identify a person as
incompetant about low carb matters and this is one of them.

Not long ago, a
dietitian (with various letters behind her name) made that firm
pronouncement to me in a discussion on weight loss.

Thus identifying that dietitian as someone who couldn't escape
from a potato chip bag.

Hollywood wrote:

The question of what causes a damaged kidney is inherently different
from
the question of what to eat once you have screwed up your kidneys. The
latests research says that upping protein in a healthy kidney doesn't
hurt
the kidney and what they used to take as a marker of a kidney in the
process of getting damaged is actually not a problem, any more than
the
strengthening of the heart muscle that occurs with regular exercise.

Elevated blood glucose causes kidney damage.

--
http://www.ornery-geeks.org/consulting/