Not All Protein Is Created Equally
America’s focus on nutritious eating started to receive nationwide attention in the 1940s when President Roosevelt introduced the RDA, or Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) model. Taking on the shape of a pyramid in the 1980′s (which is why it’s generally referred to as the food pyramid), this model has gone through many modifications since its birth more than 60 years ago[i].
This change and evolution of the RDA model is, in many respects, a positive step. It demonstrates that, just as America’s info on diet and nutrition is advancing, so too are the models that guide its eating habits. In fact, the USDA itself has decided to update the term and now refers to “RDI’s” (“Reference Daily Intake”) instead of RDA’s.
The fact that many Individuals are increasingly unable to determine what, how, and when to eat undermines some of the recent constructive changes. “There are so many suggestions about healthy ways to eat, it’s hard to know what to believe” is a statement that 40% of the respondents in a survey performed by the USDA in 1996 strongly agreed to, and basically confirms the fact[ii]
The idea of the Daily Value, or “DV” is among the most serious examples of this rising dietary confusion . Introduced by the USDA in the 1990s, the DV is a dietary numerical reference that’s supposed to allow people to make healthy eating selections [iii].
Expressed as a percentage, the philosophical concept behind the DV is that it can provide an important piece of information. The information given by the DV is how much of a nutrient a consumer is getting from a certain food product. For instance, it could be easier for consumers to keep track of how much fat they’re eating throughout the day if the DV label on the can of beans says that it has “10% of the DV for fat.”
“Is 10% of the DV for fat unhealthy or good?”, is a big question that one has to ask even if they’re not a mathematician or a dietician. To put it simply, the consumer needs to be guided if he has to choose this particular source of fat because it’s a source for good fat or should he avoid it for the opposite reason?
This is the question that has provided fuel for much of the confusion among the health-conscious consumers. It has brought about explicit concern among those who wish to be certain that they maintain the recommended daily allowance for protein.
You can not underestimate the significance of protein in a diet. It’s not only an essential macronutrient for athletes like bodybuilders and runners, nevertheless it’s also an important macronutrient for you as well. Regardless of mobility or athleticism, protein is a critical part of life itself. Protein maintains and repairs muscle tissue, aids digestion, regulates chemicals, manages hormones, and produces enzymes, just to mention a few of its major functions[iv]. In extreme cases, a dangerous lack of protein actually leads to a condition called Kwashiorkor, where the body cannibalizes itself [2].
Trying to determine the right amount of protein – as expressed in terms of DV% — has been a difficult challenge for many eaters. As a result, some consumers haven’t been eating high quality protein due to this confusion. It’s because the DV numbers isn’t an enough foundation for them to make healthy protein eating choices.
The Reference Daily Intake or the RDI is actually missing from the DV equation. A protein RDI of 50 grams per day is generally used. You can determine the “optimum” DV number by taking the total quantity of protein (in grams) of a specific product then dividing it with the RDI for protein.
For instance, if a product offers 25 grams of protein, and the RDI is 50 grams per day, then the product’s “optimum” DV will be 50%. Thus, the DV of 50% ought to appear on the product’s label. If the number is lower than 50%, the consumers instantly know that it is not an optimum source of protein.
It shouldn’t be much of a challenge to find good sources of essential macronutrients such as protein, nevertheless it has actually become so, because many food makers do not want the consumers to have the ability to distinguish the high quality food from those with poor quality. This is especially tragic in the health and nutrition food business since you’d expect manufacturers to go all-out for high quality nutrition. Unfortunately, this is not often the case.
However, that’s not cause to despair. Look at it as just a compelling cause to support companies who are ensuring that the products they’re offering only reflect high quality DV ranges, accompanied by their efforts to educate the general public on how you can know the optimum DV.
[1] The FDA is clear that the DV idea isn’t meant to direct people on how much they should eat. In this instance, the eater should not conclude that eating 10 cans of beans will achieve “100% of the recommended fat intake per day”. The DV is meant as a reference number only and never as a recommendation. The intake per day is usually recommended by the RDA/RDI, which will be mentioned further in this article.
[2] Kwashiorkor is more prevalent in some parts of the developing world, but incidences have been reported in the US.
References
[i] Source: “Food Pyramid History”. http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall02/Greene/history.htm
[ii] Source: America’s Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences. USDA. http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib750/
[iii] Source “Daily Values Encourage Healthy Eating”. FDA. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/special/foodlabel/dvs.html
[iv] Source: “The Importance of Protein”. OhioHealth. http://www.ohiohealth.com/facilities/mcconnell/weightmanage/details/protein.html
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein liquid for diabetic patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright
