24: All Things Protein (Protein 101) | Dr. Donald Layman

Do you struggle with how much protein is right for you? More? Less? Well here's your chance to ask THE protein aficionado himself. We are thrilled to have  with us to discuss what role protein can and should play within the context of a low-carbohydrate diet. He is a professor of nutrition in the Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in Urbana, Illinois. He is one of the foremost experts in the world on the subject of protein and has been studying the effects of proteins and amino acids to determine their effect on exercise performance as well as the role they play in overall health for decades.

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Here are some of the questions we addressed in this podcast:

MARYLOU ASKS:I'm a 69-year-old female who has been in a power wheelchair for the past 12 years due to MS. I remain fairly active in my upper body doing light housekeeping, cooking, and shopping, taking care of grandchildren twice a week, driving as needed with hand controls, and exercising at the gym twice a week for about an hour. My weight has come down to 140 from 155 by eating low-carb for the past five years. But I would feel much more comfortable, as I'm sitting all day, with less body fat around my middle. I eat under 20 grams of carbs with the recommended .8 grams protein per kilo of ideal body weight, but I seem to be an expert at gluconeogenesis and can't get into ketosis. Does being unable to walk allow for a smaller protein requirement for people like me? I'm also "pre-diabetic" with fasting blood glucose readings around 110 dropping into the 90's when I eat the smaller protein amount.

MEGHANN ASKS:I need to accurately calculate my protein requirement -- what do I need to measure to do that for myself? Should my protein intake be for my current weight or my ideal body weight? I want to make sure I'm getting just the right amount of protein in preparation for a triathlon that will not send me into fat-storing mode. There are just so many conflicting opinions about this.

JAMIE ASKS:Are there any guidelines to the protein serving size that minimizes insulin response?

Are you aware of any studies comparing the satiety of various proteins such as eggs, beef, lamb, game, chicken, soy, whey, milk, cheese and yogurt?

MARYANN ASKS:How much protein should a person who has the gene H63D for hemochromatosis and an iron level of 601 eat and what kinds? I also have episodes of atrial fibrillation. It's kind of a mystery knowing what to do for someone with afib and high iron levels because it seems like they have opposite solutions.

MARGIE ASKS:What happens if someone eats too much protein in a day? What level of protein intake would that be and what would happen if someone consumed that much protein?

KATARINA ASKS:Why does beef or game seem to give better control over hunger than the same amount of chicken? That's been my personal experience over the past six years. Whenever I eat a larger amount of chicken, for example, that makes me hungry for even more meat sooner than a smaller amount of beef or game with similar protein. And when I say hungry for meat, that means an intense craving that makes me want steak or liver and lots of it fried lots of butter--right now! Is this satiety difference related to the fat quality of these meats?

KAT ASKS:Why is it that after not eating all day I can eat a big hunk of protein and within minutes of finishing I am suddenly sleepy?

JOSH ASKS:I switched over to a low-carb/ketogenic diet last June and one thing I noticed within a few days is that my hands and feet didn't get cold anymore. After reading on the low-carb blogs about how consuming too much protein can get converted into glucose, I started lowering my protein intake down from 150+ grams daily to just over 100 grams. Then I started having cold hands and feet again and for the past few days I've been upping my protein again to see what would happen. My cold extremities have improved again. Is it safe to assume that this means I've found the right level of protein I need? Or what else is going on here?

KATHERINE ASKS:When determining the optimal protein intake for preservation of muscle mass during weight loss, should it be figured on a per kg BW basis or total energy in the diet basis and why? What figure would you use and is it different for men vs. women and why?

AMBERLY ASKS:My son is allergic to dairy and I'm looking for an acceptable alternative to protein shakes made with whey protein. Is rice protein an acceptable alternative or are there better ones?

EXCEPTIONALLY BRASH ASKS:Can you address the differing opinions from various low-carb doctors on the subject of protein. Dr. Ron Rosedale seems to think that excess protein is unhealthy and can shorten your lifespan while Dr. Jack Kruse and Dr. Michael Eades don't think protein consumption is an issue. Is there any research on longevity or other health benefits with keeping your protein minimized?

A.J.C. ASKS:I intermittent fast for 16 hours and then squeeze in three meals in the span of 8 hours. My question for you is when I'm eating this way with about 35-40g of protein per meal, how does this influence protein digestion and use during the rest of the day when I'm not eating? Is this an adequate amount of protein to consume? What happens if I'm so satisfied with what I've eaten in only one or two of those meals consisting of 35-40g protein each that I skip a meal or two?

KEITH ASKS:I am an active 45-year-old who lost 75 pounds on the Atkins diet. I have been working on building muscle and have increased my intake of protein to facilitate that. Obviously, I get most of my protein intake from real whole foods, but I have been targeting 1g of protein per pound of lean body weight each day and I am finding that even with a low-carb lifestyle, I am needing to supplement with whey protein to reach that goal. But I'm concerned because I have heard from one of my favorite fitness bloggers that whey protein increases insulin more than even white bread! Needless to say, I was shocked and disappointed as I have had good results drinking whey protein shakes. I am desperately trying to avoid consuming soy protein and have not liked the products I have tried with casein and hemp proteins, am I okay sticking with whey protein as long as I time the supplementation to coincide with my workouts to avoid the insuligenic effect? Would beef protein supplementation be even better as an alternative?

BARBARA ASKS:Are there certain foods rich in protein that should be avoided? I love the rich selection of cheeses that we can get here in England, but wondered if consuming all that dairy was bad for me.

PETRO ASKS:Would Dr. Layman please address the branch chain amino acids, particularly leucine, isoleucine and valine and their ability to raise insulin levels, but relatively suppress glucagon levels. Alternatively, the amino acids phenylalanine, glycine, serine and asparagine seem to raise glucagon relative to insulin according to studies done in dogs. Are there better protein sources for people that might cause a lower insulin response and a greater glucagon response that would possibly enhance weight loss?