Let’s take a look at one of the most important nutrients - protein - and how it relates to one of the biggest risk factors for deadly disease - chronic inflammation.
Protein is a one of the big three macronutrients along with carbohydrates and fat. It’s what your body uses to build new tissue, keep your brain functioning, and fuel energy. It’s absolutely an essential nutrient.
Inflammation is also essential. It’s the process your body uses to repair itself from injury. But too much of a good thing is almost always a bad thing.
Constant, or chronic, inflammation can cause buildup of plaque in your arteries, and has also been linked to many, many deadly diseases, from cancer, to COPD, to stroke, to diabetes.
Chronic inflammation is at the root of diseases that can lower our quality of life, or end our life altogether. It is absolutely a major health problem.
And it can come from many sources, including bad sleep patterns, exposure to toxins, alcoholism, and obesity. But the #1 source of chronic inflammation comes from the foods we choose to eat.
In numerous studies, processed foods, high sugar foods, hydrogenated oils, and refined carbs have all been linked (1) (2) (3) (4) to higher levels of inflammation in the body, sometimes drastically.
Can it be reversed?
You can absolutely fight chronic inflammation. And it might be as simple as removing highly inflammatory foods from your diet and replacing them with healthier choices.
Diets full of vegetables, fruits (especially berries), high fiber foods, turmeric, and essential omega-6 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the presence of inflammatory markers (1) (2) (3) (4) (5).
And there’s one other champion in the fight against inflammation. It’s a big one, a macronutrient:
High Quality Whey Protein
Whey protein is one of the two types of protein found in cow’s milk. You can get it by drinking milk or dairy products, but more and more people are getting whey protein in supplement form, often as a powder to add to shakes and smoothies.
And studies have shown that whey protein, especially when taking more than 20g a day (which would be difficult to get through milk alone) can significantly reduce chronic inflammation.
In fact, it has been shown to lower inflammatory markers both in animal and human studies (1) (2), and other studies [d]have linked whey protein intake with a strong decrease in metabolic diseases like diabetes.
Many people find these results surprising given there is a strong push towards completely dairy-free sources of protein. But whey has only a very small amount of lactose, so it is generally well tolerated by people with lactose intolerance.
And the science around its ability to lower inflammation is very strong.
The Bottom Line?
The best way to fight a chronic disease is to stop it before it starts. This is best done by leading a anti-inflammatory lifestyle - getting good sleep, avoiding stress, exercising, and most importantly, eating a healthy diet.
If you are looking to get more protein AND fight inflammation at the same time, whey might be the way to go :)
Let’s get healthier together,
Your friends at Santo Remedio
