Too Much Protein WON'T BUILD BETTER VISION
Problems with poultry and fish
Many physicians and nutritionists are admonishing Americans,
"You're eating too much red meat. You should be eating more
poultry and fish!"
What’s wrong with this advice?
The average American in the past five decades has been eating
more flesh protein than at any time in our history. Daily protein
consumption of the average American far exceeds the Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein. Many of my patients who have vision
problems are consuming more than double and even triple the RDAs of
protein--and most of the average American’s protein is from flesh
protein sources--foods such as beef, lamb, pork, chicken, duck, turkey,
fish, and shellfish. Some nutritionists have criticized the RDAs
as being too low; nonetheless, considering longevity, vitality,
reproductive adequacy, and freedom from morbidity as appropriate
measures of success, the RDA for protein is quite sufficient.
Phosphorus/calcium ratio & muscle protein
What's different about flesh protein compared to other
sources of protein? If we ask where in a lactating cow will we find
calcium most concentrated, the answer is: in the milk and in the
bones. But the mostly muscular flesh of the cow is deficient in
calcium in relation to its phosphorus content. Americans and people of
comfortable means throughout the world are eating so much flesh
protein that their dietary intake ratios of phosphorus-to-calcium are
becoming elevated to as high as a now not-uncommon ratio of 2.5 to 1
(or even higher), rather than the more desirable 1-to-1 ratio.
Secondary hyperparathyroidism
One consequence of taking in too much phosphorus and too little
calcium (and magnesium as well) is a syndrome called "secondary
hyperthyroidism." This condition is probably heavily implicated in
osteoporosis and, according to my evidence, is a principal cause of
increased distensibility of the sclera (the white outer coat of the
eyes), allowing more rapid development of nearsightedness (myopia) and
other refractive changes.
The Scenario
secondary hyperparathyroidism and myopia development
a) The parathyroid gland gets the message that because of excessive intake of phosphorus in relation-to-calcium (as from flesh-protein sources, but also from bran, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds), the concentration of phosphorus in the bloodstream has become elevated, creating a hyperphosphatemia which the body needs to balance. (Rather than bran or wheat germ, a better balance may be achieved by eating the whole grain, such as whole-grain breads or especially soaked or sprouted whole kernels of wheat or other grains, of which the bran and the germ are only parts. Rather than eating large quantities of irresistible sunflower seeds, it’s better to sprout the seeds.)
b) The parathyroid gland releases parathyroid hormone (PTH) into the bloodstream.
c) Release of PTH results in mobilization of calcium and magnesium from the bone structure. My evidence is that it also results in loss of calcium that had or would have complexed with the scleral-collagen matrix.
d) The complexing of calcium with scleral collagen is an easily reversible process. When calcium is heavily incorporated into proteoglycans in the collagen matrix of the sclera, the eye becomes much more resistant both to distension and contraction, and hence to refractive change.
e) After the blood is balanced as to calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, the body redistributes the calcium and the phosphorus.
Muscle protein versus milk protein
In a study presented to the American Association for the
Advancement of Science in 1982, I was able to show that, for the eye, it
is not protein per se that causes the rerouting of calcium from bones
to blood and thence to other tissues, but flesh protein, because of its
high concentration of phosphorus, unlike milk protein, which is high in
calcium and relatively low in phosphorus. It is important not simply to
trade one excessive practice--overeating of beef, lamb, pork--for
another excessive practice--overeating of poultry and fish--because of
the unbalancing effect of a too-low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in flesh
proteins.
|
Phosphorus |
Calcium |
Phosphorus |
|
(in mg) |
(in mg) |
-to-Calcium |
||
per 100g |
per 100 g |
Ratio |
||
RELATIVELY LOW PHOSPHORUS-to-HIGH CALCIUM Group |
||||
Cheddar Cheese |
530 |
810 |
0.65:1 |
|
| String beans |
37.8 |
57 |
0.66:1 |
|
| Cow’s milk |
92 |
120 |
0.77:1 |
|
| Zucchini |
23 |
30 |
0.77:1 |
|
| Broccoli |
82 |
105 |
0.77:1 |
|
NEUTRAL PHOSPHORUS-to-CALCIUM RATIO GROUP |
||||
| Grapefruit |
17 |
18 |
0.94 |
|
| Chicory |
26 |
25.6 |
1.01:1 |
|
| Watermelon |
11 |
10.5 |
1.05:1 |
|
MODERATELY HIGH PHOSPHORUS-to-RELATIVELY LOW CALCIUM GROUP |
||||
| Filberts (hazel nuts) |
333 |
226 |
1.47:1 |
|
| Sunflower seeds |
600 |
360 |
1.67:1 |
|
QUITE HIGH PHOSPHORUS-to-RELATIVELY LOW CALCIUM RATIO GROUP |
||||
| Sardine |
258 |
85 |
3.04:1 |
|
| Egg, whole |
216 |
56 |
3.86:1 |
|
| Whole wheat bread |
265 |
63 |
4.2:1 |
|
| Tuna fish |
200 |
40 |
5.00:1 |
|
| Sirloin steak |
157 |
12 |
13.08:1 |
|
| Trout |
242 |
18 |
13.44:1 |
|
| Wheat germ |
1100 |
69 |
15.94:1 |
|
| Chicken |
200 |
12 |
16.67:1 |
|
| Mackerel |
244 |
12 |
20.33:1 |
|
| Wheat bran |
1240 |
43 |
28.84:1 |
|