By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
When I was in elementary school in Besao, I and my schoolmates would line up with our cup in hand for boiled cornmeal. It was mixed with some sugar and skim milk. Sometimes, what our teachers fed us was bulgur instead of corn meal. I can still recall the feel of the bulgur in my teeth (bulgur is cracked wheat and a whole grain). I loved these! Much later in 1981 when I entered government service, I came to realize that what we had in elementary school was a feeding program. I was then fresh from medical school and was the physician at the Bontoc Rural Health Unit. We were informed by our own government that we, Filipinos, were not eating enough protein and enough carbohydrates and thus we needed to have supplementary food from Mother America. We believed these pronouncements and we continued the feeding program. That supplementary food came in the form of powdered skim milk and green peas, along with cornmeal and bulgur, which, at that time, the rural health units and the schools distributed to the people uncooked. That program stopped after some years but we were still bombarded with messages that our food is protein deficient. I also remember that this same fear of protein deficiency was the reason why the Department of Agriculture embarked on massive cow and pig dispersal programs, poultry-raising and fish fingerlings distribution (which continue up to now). This was also the reason for the introduction of the golden kuhol, supposedly to be an additional protein source.
It’s now 2023. There are so many pigs that pig-raisers have problems disposing their obese pigs, there are so many broiler culls that languish in dirty, smelly cages and we continue to force layer hens to lay eggs even without the rooster. And the golden kuhol has eaten all the other indigenous protein sources in the payew like the binga, jojo, ket-an and lisdeg. And they continue to ravage our palay plants and thus decrease our already limited rice production. Isn’t that just sad? Thank God the jojo (Japanese fish) has recovered in some payew. The ket-an and lisdeg (indigenous shells) have other habitat like the streams and rivers so they have survived the golden kuhol’s voraciousness. I still have to see the agudong, though.
Now also we have many more diseases as compared to what we had in the 1980s. A lot of these diseases have been linked to eating too much protein. Where do you think all those pigs and chickens and eggs go? You guessed it- to our bodies.
Yes, we are eating too much protein nowadays. Too much animal protein. If your food is laden with eggs, chicken, pork, beef, milk, chocolate, cheese, fish, highly-processed meat like hotdogs & ham & longaniza, corned beef, etc., then your protein intake is extremely high. See what is in the store and supermarkets and frozen foods will always be there. Look at what these frozen foods are and they are meat-based or milk-based. Meat and milk and all their camouflaged forms are all around us. Look in your kitchen and if you have a refrigerator, what’s in it? The general attitude of people nowadays is that as long as it is there for sale, it is okay. I ask you, is there somebody checking these for public health? And for protein, we are conditioned by media to think that the more protein we eat and drink, the better. So we buy and eat animal protein even without thinking that we might be overdosed.
Independent scientists say that too much animal protein is bad for our health and the evidence is all around us, too. I emphasize the word “independent” because there are scientists who are paid or supported or friends of the meat and milk industry who will tell you otherwise. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, the courageous scientist and author of The China Study did plenty of research and came up with the conclusion that a diet high in animal protein is a high risk factor for the development of cancer. Also, the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) says that intake of too much animal protein can lead to serious health problems like:
1. Kidney diseases
When you eat a lot of protein, you take in more nitrogen than you need so the body excretes this excess through the urine. You will notice that heavy meat-eaters drink a lot more liquid than plant eaters. This will overwork and weaken your kidneys. So don’t be surprised when we have an increasing number of people having kidney problems and some are even now undergoing dialysis. Those with kidney disease are advised to have a low-protein diet.
2. Cancers
An experiment by Dr. Campbell in 1968 showed that rats fed with a diet composed of 20% protein developed fast tumor growth while those fed with only 5% protein had no tumor growth at all. And when they removed the protein from the rats’ diet, their tumor growth stopped. Another interesting finding in this research is that rats fed with plant-based protein did not develop any tumor at all. PCRM says “Populations who eat meat regularly are at increased risk for colon cancer, and researchers believe that the fat, protein, natural carcinogens, and absence of fiber in meat all play roles. The 1997 report of the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, Food, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Cancer, noted that meaty, high-protein diets were linked with some types of cancer. Other researches show that regular intake of milk and milk products is a risk for prostate cancer and breast cancer. Milk contains a lot of protein (aside from sugar).
3. Osteoporosis and kidney stones
Diets rich in animal protein cause people to excrete more calcium than normal through their kidneys and thus increase the risk of osteoporosis. Heavy meat eaters have a lot of calcium crystals in their urine. Try having your urine examined in the laboratory, if you are a meat eater. It’s a simple procedure and is not expensive. Don’t wait for your body to say “aray” before you take action.
These are only some of the disasters that are prevalent today that are linked to eating too much animal protein. Our bodies are not really designed to handle a lot of meat (whether it is chicken, pork, beef, kambing or what animal) and eggs and milk. Our teeth and intestines give a clue to the right foods that we should eat. The rest of nature will dictate that we can eat meat but not as often as we like to. Just reflect on how naturally-grown pigs and chickens grow and you will understand.
But then, you ask, don’t we need protein? Of course, we need protein to be strong and healthy and nature has generously provided protein in plants. To have a diet that contains enough, but not too much protein, simply replace animal products with grains, vegetables and beans (green or dried). Legumes are dried beans- mungo, red or white or black beans, kardis, etc. This way you don’t overload your body systems and at the same time, you get the other important nutrients.
This holiday season, I believe many of us are having protein overload. Thankfully, parties now usually have vegetable and fish choices so be selective with what you binge on. You can taste everything in the party then eat simply at home or fast. ! Dear reader, may you have good health, abundance and happiness this 2023***
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“Everything is permissible for me”- but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”- but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6.
