About protein absorption...

Here's what I posted earlier on the WLS Graduates Board: Hi all! Disclaimer first: I'm not a scientist nor a doctor nor a nutritionist, nor do I play one on TV. However, I'm a medical librarian, and do literature searches for a living. After hearing the "You can absorb 30 grams of protein at a time" statement, I set out to see where that information came from. What I discovered is that it's a REALLY complicated question (no big surprise there, I guess!), and the answer is a major "It depends." There have been some studies done on various kinds of proteins on people with NORMAL digestive systems, NOT bypass patients, so keep that information in mind! This information comes from an article entitled "A Review of Issues of Dietary Protein Intake in Humans" by Shane Bilsborough and Neil Mann, published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2006, volume 16, pp. 129-152. (As you can guess from the title, the journal is one aiming more at body building and sports fitness, but it reviews articles from mainstream medical journals.) The article includes a table of "Approximations of Amino Acid Absorptions from Different Protein Sources": Egg Protein Raw: 1.3 grams of protein per hour per kilogram of body weight Pea flour: 2.4 grams of protein per hour per kilogram of body weight Egg protein cooked: 2.8 grams of protein per hour per kilogram of body weight Pea flour: globulins & albumins: 3.4 grams of protein per hour per kilogram of body weight Milk protein: 3.5 grams of protein per hour per kilogram of body weight Soy protein isolate: 3.9 grams of protein per hour per kilogram of body weight Free AA: 4.3 grams of protein per hour per kilogram of body weight Casein isolate: 6.1 grams per hour per kilogram of body weight Free AA (same profile as casein): 7-7.5 grams per hour per kilogram of body weight Whey isolate: 8-10 grams per hour per kilogram of body weight The article doesn't give brand names or anything like that. Because it's a review article, it has a lengthy bibliography (and the table I quote from above includes the number for the article the information came from). Now, if I figure things correctly, at my weight (if I hadn't had bypass surgery), I could absorb over 600 grams of protein from whey isolate in an hour -- and that is a recipe for disaster, because there is definitely such thing as too much protein! So, that's what I've found. If you want to see the article yourself, it's available free online: http://humankinetics.uwic.ac.uk/eJournalMedia/pdfs/5642.pdf And remember -- ALWAYS FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF YOUR DOCTOR AND NUTRITIONIST, NOT A LIBRARIAN ON A MESSAGE BOARD!!!! Hope this helps clear things up, at least a little! Lisa

600 GRAMS????? HOLY MOLY! JUST GOES TO PROVE ... MODERATION & COMMON SENSE ARE ALWAYS IN STYLE!

Exactly! Could you imagine 600 grams? I just stick to what the doctor recommends.... Lisa

AT YOUR SUGGESTION, I GOT FLAX OIL (THE GIRL AT THE VITAMIN SHOPPE SAID TO TRY THE OIL INSTEAD OF THE SEEDS AS IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DIGEST WITH OUR SYSTEMS) ... I'LL START IT THIS WEEK WHEN I DON'T HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE JUST IN CASE. &, I GOT ULTIMATE '10" PROBIOTIC WITH ACIDOPHLIUS TO REPLINISH THE GOOD BACTERIA IN MY DIGESTIVE TRACT ... ... TO SEE IF THESE 2 ITEMS HELP WITH MY SLOW DIGESTION & ELIMITATION. THANKS FOR THE INFO, MS LISA. GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICk

I don't think the oil will help you with your constipation, Dawn, because it's the fiber in the seed itself that causes the elimination, not the oil. Being easier to digest isn't important, since fiber really isn't digested and just goes through our systems. Flax oil is really good for you in general, so it's not like you wasted your money, but if I were you I'd look to get some ground flax seed (it should be vacuum packed) and add a tablespoon to cereal or yogurt or something and see how that goes, then add more as needed. Like I said, I use a tablespoon a day, but having a slow digestive track has NEVER been a problem for me -- I usually have two or even three movements a day, and my specialty is diarrhea (has always been, as I've had irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea since high school). Make sure you don't take any vitamins with the flax seed, because it can prevent the vitamins from being absorbed, just like any bulking laxative. Have you tried Benefiber or Metamucil? I've taken both of them in the past. You can't go wrong with probiotics and adicophlius, though. I hope it helps! Lisa

WHOOPS ... THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE ADDITIONAL INFO ... NEXT TIME I'M AT THE VITAMIN SHOPPE, I'LL CHECK OUT THE GROUND FLAX SEEDS ... DIDN'T KNOW THAT ABOUT NOT TAKING FLAX SEED WITH SUPPLEMENTS ... THANKS. I WAS ONE OF THE BLESSED ONES BECAUSE MY GERD, REFLUX, CRAMPS & DIARRHEA ALL WENT AWAY AFTER GASTRIC BYPASS ... I CAN NOW EAT ANYTHING WITHOUT GASTRIC DISTRESS. I USED TO HAVE TO PLAN MY MEALS AROUND HAVING A BATHROOM NEAR BY OTHERWISE I WAS IN DEEP DOO DOO, LITERALLY! I REALLY APPRECIATE THE INFO, MS LISA! GOD BLESS YOU ... DAWN & NICk