Balance Your Protein :: Food and Nutrition :: Diets

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Balance Your Protein
by author Myron Wiebe

Han M. Steikema, MD, author of the Flow System Therapy, asks an intriguing question: "In diabetes, the capillary wall is three times thicker than normal. In regular medicine, this is considered to be a "symptom" of diabetes. However, which was there first, the thickened capillary wall or the diabetes?"

Good question.

One area of health that is just beginning to be understood is the damaging effect of too much protein. Perhaps what is more relevant than how much protein one should consume each day is how much protein is already accumulated in the body! Over-proteinization means an excess of protein in body tissues.

Protein that can neither be properly assimilated nor digested must be eliminated as waste–if it remains in the body it creates congestion, free radicals and toxicity. Evidence suggests that this excess protein may be the cause of many degenerative problems.

Protein that is not utilized by cells remains in the extra-cellular fluid. The negative charge of small protein molecules causes them to readily bind to minerals-which are then less available for use by the cells, contributing to nutrient deficiency. The protein-mineral complexes do further damage by attracting water into the space between the cells, leading to congestion and edema.

The true enormity of the problem was made clear, thanks to the pioneering work of Dr A Pischinger, a professor at the University of Vienna. The extra-cellular fluid is one part of a system he refers to as the extra-cellular matrix, which includes the extra-cellular fluid, connective tissues, nerve endings, the smaller capillaries of the circulatory system and parts of the lymph system. According to Dr Pischinger, this matrix is the largest functioning system in the body. Nutrients for every cell must pass through this system and all waste material must exit through it as well. The proper flow of nutrients and waste materials through the cells will determine the health of all our organs.

Recent research implicates the congestion of the extra-cellular matrix as a contributing factor to many health problems: arthritis, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, cataracts, premature aging, chronic lung disorders, chronic bone disorders, chronic immune disorders, connective tissue disorders, anxiety, impaired memory and mental dysfunction, various female disorders, mineral deficiency and chronic skin disorders. Even an allergy to sunlight!

Prior to entering the extra-cellular fluid, nutrients must pass through the capillary wall from the bloodstream. Excess protein in the form of collagen can block the pores of the capillary wall, thereby once again impeding the flow of nutrients to the cells. If enough collagen is present, the capillary wall thickens and further inhibits the flow of nutrients. Unable to penetrate the wall, nutrients remain in the bloodstream in elevated levels. In the bloodstream itself, excess proteins bind to red blood cells, making it more difficult for them to repel each other. The "stacked" blood cells are less able to perform their function of delivering oxygen. Cellular respiration is further impaired by decreased mitochondrial activity as a result of the congested cells.

Myron Wiebe is a nutritional consultant and live blood cell analyst living in Vancouver, BC.

Source: alive #231, January 2002

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