The High-Protein Cookbook - Linda West Eckhardt [3]
The National Academy of Science Food and Nutrition Board calls thirteen vitamins and ten minerals “essential.” This government body sets recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for men and women of various ages. In theory, if you are eating the recommended number of servings from the five food groups, including at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, you should be getting all the vitamins and minerals you need.
But you know the difference between theory and practice. A 1994 USDA survey found most adult women failed to meet the RDAs for iron, zinc, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E, while men were short on zinc and magnesium. While this diet goes far to ameliorate these deficiencies, with its emphasis on red meat, eggs, fish, and a variety of green leafy vegetables, we recommend a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement. Think of it as an insurance policy.
You must understand that RDAs were established a number of years ago, and were intended only to prevent nutrient shortages that lead to ailments such as scurvy or rickets. Antioxidants—which scientists now believe act as scavengers for oxygen-free radicals responsible for harmful cellular changes leading to cancer, heart disease, and other disorders—are best supplemented.
Vitamin E can boost the immune system and promote heart health, among many other things. Tufts University’s vitamin E researcher, Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition, recommends a daily intake of 100 to 400 IUs (international units) of supplemental vitamin E for healthy people, and 400 to 800 IUs for those who have heart disease or diabetes. We faithfully take our 400-IU dose of Vitamin E.
Vitamin C has a recommended RDA of 60 milligrams. But scientists believe between 250 and 500 milligrams are beneficial for general health. Up to 1,000 milligrams may be taken before stomach upsets or other counterproductive effects are felt. We like a couple of 500-milligram chewables a day.
Beta-carotene is a plant-based antioxidant your body can transform into vitamin A as needed. You can take up to 5,000 IUs with no unpleasant side effects.
Folic acid and vitamins B12 and B6 are linked to a lower incidence of heart disease and heart attacks. You need at least 400 micrograms. You’ll get a lot from meat and eggs, but supplementation is recommended, particularly if you are of child-bearing age.
Calcium builds strong bones and teeth and reduces our risk for osteoporosis. The high-protein diet contains lots of calcium if you eat eggs and cheese, but the Nutrition Board has raised the RDA for adults up to the age of fifty to 1,000 milligrams, and to 1,200 milligrams for those over fifty. The average woman gets only about 600 milligrams of calcium in her normal diet, so a supplement of 1,000 milligrams is advised.
Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, available in milk, butter, and egg yolks, potentiates the use of calcium. The recommended RDA is 200 IUs, but 400 IUs are recommended as supplementation for adults between the ages of fifty and seventy because after fifty, the body may not absorb dietary sources as well.
In addition to the vitamins and minerals listed above, trace minerals, including magnesium, iron, and selenium, are needed by the body but are usually found in adequate supply in a good all-purpose multivitamin.
To Learn More
If you’d like to calculate your own recipes, do what we did. Order the National Restaurant Association Nutrition Recipe Analysis, Version 1.0, from ESHA Research. This well-respected computer program will tell you what you need to know. Call ESHA (503-585-5543) or e-mail them (nra@esha.com).
Two 5-feet-4-inch women, each of whom weigh 140 pounds, may look quite different. One seems fat and the other just right. Why? Body mass index. How much fat do you carry? How much in muscle and bone? Learn your own BMI (body mass index), and you’ll get a scientific recommendation of the correct weight for your height and body frame size.