I am also rather sensitive to protein! I have learned that I must limit mine, so I have just a bit with my lunch and dinner because protein causes my bg to spike more than anything else. The rise is many hours after I eat a big measure of protein. I find having less helps improve the gluconeogenesis that seems to cause that trouble (for me anyway). I am not a true vegetarian but was for years with no trouble. In my life with diabetes I have stayed healthy by following a “balanced” diet. Here are some facts about the necessary protein ‘nutrient’:
A well-balanced diet provides enough protein.
Healthy people rarely need protein supplements.
Vegetarians are able to get enough essential amino by eating a variety of plant proteins.
The amount of recommended daily protein depends upon your age and health. Two to three servings of protein-rich foods will meet the daily needs of most adults.
Too much protein can also cause problems if you have medical conditions. The long-term effects of a high-protein, low-carb diet is not known…
The signs of too little protein include recent weight loss, tired muscles, and a drop in your muscle strength.
So please enjoy the natural plant protein foods you can add to your vegetarian way of eating. Mine fill me up, taste really good, metabolize without trouble, and give me plenty of energy to get out and goof off.
Good points Karen! Most people in the US have abundant sources of plant based proteins so they should be able to easily meet dietary needs by making good choices. This isn’t always true throughout the world.
One of the things I have found is that contrary to what we are taught, if the grams of protein in your meal approach the grams of carbs then you need to bolus for protein. I think this likely applies to vegan/vegetarian diets. Our bodies can convert more than half of protein into blood glucose through a process called Gluconeogenesis and the blood sugar rise can take place over 3-5 hours as protein digests and converts slowly. Some people find that an extended or dual wave bolus helps match the insulin to the meal and avoids later blood sugar rise.
High protein diets have been found to not be good for patients with serious kidney problems and high protein diets that are low in fat can cause a serious disorder called Rabbit Starvation (if you eat like 300 g/day of protein and in particular if you are fat starved). Most low carb diet recommendations suggest modest levels of protein. Bernstein recommends 50 g/day. Even the low carb diet from Eades called “Protein Power” only calls for 75-100 grams/day. It is good to get sufficient protein and a bit extra protein is helpful, but you are right it certainly isn’t good to go overboard.
I think it’s helpful to read these statements in context of the full Wikipedia entry to which you cite:
PEM is fairly common worldwide in both children and adults and accounts for 6 million deaths annually. In the industrialized world, PEM is predominantly seen in hospitals, is associated with disease, or is often found in the elderly.
Note that PEM may be secondary to other conditions such as chronic renal disease or cancer cachexia in which protein energy wasting may occur.
Protein–energy malnutrition affects children the most because they have less protein intake. The few rare cases found in the developed world are almost entirely found in small children as a result of fad diets, or ignorance of the nutritional needs of children, particularly in cases of milk allergy.
My point being that the people reading TuD and considering a vegetarian or vegan diet are extremely unlikely to be among the population at risk for PEM unless they have a serious illness.
I, too, saw a misunderstanding by Brian…vegetarians/vegans do not advocate against good nutrition! Often, the choice is made to bring increased nutrition to our bodies. And Brian, it is so, so common for teenagers to completely misunderstand what vegetarianism involves. Like the D, there is effort, study, and experimentation involved. Mike, so fun to learn you are one of us…heh.
