Can eating too much protein really cause cancer?

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28 July 2024

Experts, including Karen from Amplify Nutrition, challenge current low RDA recommendations, and address the trendy cancer concerns

Protein is a crucial part of our diet, essential for maintaining muscle mass and overall health. Insufficient protein intake can lead to muscle loss, which has been linked to a higher risk of early death. Despite this, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) suggests just 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight, per day, (or an easier rough guide of 45g for females, 55g for males). Many experts, including me, believe this is too low.
I recommend consuming at least one to two grammes of protein per kg of body weight daily, depending upon age and goals – and yes, that’s a very wide range. For example, for those who are particularly active, or aiming to build muscle, higher levels might be appropriate. However, this raises an important question: can you eat too much protein?

The protein and cancer link
There’s a hypothesis that excessive protein consumption could increase cancer risk, largely due to its effects on certain cellular pathways which are the ones deeply involved in cell growth and proliferation.
Since uncontrolled cell growth is a hallmark of cancer, it’s suggested that high protein intake might contribute to cancer development – it certainly seems plausible at first glance.

What does the human data say?
Human studies do not support the idea that high protein intake increases cancer risk.
Conducting randomised trials on this topic is challenging and expensive, and animal studies often don’t translate well to humans.
Therefore, we rely on large-scale human epidemiology studies, which tend to discredit the hypothesis that high protein intake is linked to cancer.
A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of seven cohort studies found no significant difference in cancer risk between high and low protein intake groups. Another 2020 meta-analysis examining 12 prospective cohort studies also found no association between increased protein intake and cancer mortality.
Re-evaluating the evidence
One study often cited in support of the protein-cancer link was published in 2014 by Levine et al., which used data from the NHANES III health survey. They found that adults aged 50-65 with high protein diets were more likely to die of cancer than those with low protein diets. However, among adults over 65, high protein intake was associated with a lower risk of cancer mortality. This inconsistency suggests the data might be influenced by factors other than protein intake itself, such as overall health and lifestyle differences.

Cancer progression vs. development
It’s important to differentiate between the role of protein in cancer development vs. cancer progression. Even if protein levels do not initiate cancer, it might still influence existing cancer progression. Some studies in mice have suggested that protein restriction could inhibit tumour growth – but these results are inconsistent and not easily applicable to humans.

The role of protein in cancer survival
For individuals with cancer, adequate protein intake is crucial. Protein helps maintain muscle mass, which is often depleted during cancer and its treatment, leading to poorer quality of life and survival rates. Studies have shown that higher protein intake is associated with better outcomes for cancer patients. Current guidelines recommend increasing protein intake for cancer patients to improve their chances of survival.

Does it matter where you get it?
Some studies have investigated whether animal or plant protein has different effects on cancer risk. The evidence does not consistently show significant differences between these protein sources in terms of cancer risk. The real issue may be that diets high in red and processed meats are often low in essential nutrients and high in unhealthy components, rather than the meat itself causing cancer. It’s hard to know.

More is better than too little
The idea that high protein intake could increase cancer risk seems initially logical, but the evidence does not always support this. Instead, getting enough protein is vital for maintaining muscle mass and overall health. Most people do not consume enough protein, and the risks of too little protein – including increased frailty and poorer metabolic health – far outweigh the hypothetical risks of consuming too much. Therefore, it’s important to focus on meeting, if not exceeding, the recommended daily protein intake for optimal health and longevity.
Karen welcomes questions and queries via Amplify Nutrition for personal advice

Seeing the wood for the trees

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Editorial team

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27 July 2024

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Environmental artist Gary Cook explores England’s temperate rainforests – immerse yourself in these watery worlds in his exhibition at Child Okeford

Oak in the bracken – by the river that runs through the temperate rainforest at Cabilla in Cornwall

Since he left Bournemouth University in the late 1980s and worked as associate editor and senior artist for The Sunday Times for 26 years, Gary Cook has come a long way, to arrive back where he started.
Returned to Dorset – he lives in Shaftesbury – he has become deeply involved in the environment, not only around him in the Blackmore Vale, but across the country. His travels with paint brushes and sketch books have recently taken him to Devon, Cornwall, Wales and the Lake District, exploring and recording the mysterious beauty of England’s remaining rainforests.
We all tend to think of the Amazon or the deep, dark, wildlife-rich jungles of central Africa or the Indonesian archipelago when we imagine rainforests – but those are tropical. Our English ones, like the vast and gently dripping rainforest of the Olympia peninsula of Washington State, are temperate rainforests. And they are among the most beautiful and fragile environments in the world, at risk from climate change and other man-made threats. It is estimated that they once covered about 20 percent of the country – now it is less than one per cent.
In his notes on his exhibition of these recent paintings, at The Art Stable, at Gold Hill Organic Farm, Child Okeford, Gary says that there may still be some small remnants of temperate rainforest in Dorset.
His work over recent years has shown a deepening concern for the environment, as he explores our complicated relationship with nature, and the often detrimental impact we humans have.

Autumn mist – morning mist rising from around an ancient oak tree

Hidden messages
Gary, who is an elected member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and the Society of Graphic Fine Art, graduated from Bournemouth in 1987 and was made a fellow of the university in 1999. In part, it was his experience as the Sunday Times artist, during which he won many International awards, that developed his awareness of environmental issues.
He says: ‘I often produced diagrams highlighting environmental problems. In the last decade as a painter, including an environmental message in each piece has been very important to me. For example, oak trees provide the habitat for around 2,300 different species from bats to beetles and lichens to mammals. The names and silhouettes of some of these species are discreetly included in my paintings.’

Edge of the rainforest – twisted oaks in the temperate rainforest at Cabilla

Rainforest remnants
Explaining how the temperate rainforest project began, Gary says he had been reading Guy Shrubsole’s book The Lost Rainforests of Britain, and was struck by the author’s descriptions of the plants to look out for, because they were ‘telltale signs of these magical, enveloping places.’ They include gnarly, moss-covered oak branches: ‘The clue is in the name’, he says. ’They need rain.’
Shaftesbury is surrounded by ancient holloways, of which Dinah’s Hollow on the C13 at Melbury Abbas is probably the best-known. Gary began exploring these deep, damp byways and valleys around the town. There is, he says, a theory that the oaks that grow here may be remnants of rainforests. You may have walked in some of the places Gary has painted, in Dorset or further afield: ’Some of the small tracts I have painted around the country are actually in popular tourist areas.’
The best-known surviving English temperate rainforest is Wistman’s Wood, the extraordinary, atmospheric, ancient woodland near Two Bridges on Dartmoor. Visiting this wood is like walking into a magical landscape that could have been described by Tolkien. It has been a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest for 60 years, and has additional protection as part of a National Nature Reserve.
Gary is an elected member of the group of artists working in many different media including wood and stone, who call themselves The Arborealists. He contributes to Resurgence and Ecologist magazine.

The Temperate Times exhibition at The Art Stable continues to 20th July. For more information on his work, and future exhibitions and projects, see Gary’s website
cookthepainter.com

Patrick O’Donoghue

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Editorial team

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27 July 2024

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Patrick O’Donoghue (Ben) passed away peacefully in his sleep on 22 July with family around him.

Funeral will be held at Harbour View crematorium, Lytchett Minster BH16 6AN, on 16th August, gathering at 2pm for a 2:30pm service. Family flowers only please, donations to Dementia UK would be grateful.

An exceptional vintage

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Editorial team

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26 July 2024

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Dorset’s Langham Wine Estate celebrates its 15th birthday with top awards, expanding acreage and a new wine in one remarkable year

The Langham Team: (from the left) James McLean,
Becky Bowyer, Jean Langedyk, Justin Langham,
Calum Chance, Tommy Grimshaw, Carl Pinto.
All images: © Matt Austin

This year is proving to be memorable for Dorset-based Langham Wine Estate – Justin Langham and his team have just celebrated the 15th anniversary of the vineyard at Crawthorne Farm, near Dorchester, as well as an ice-bucket full of trophies for their sparkling wines from the Wine GB Awards and Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), where Langham wines won five gold medals, five silvers and a bronze.
For founder and managing director Justin, the anniversary is an important milestone. He told friends and guests at an anniversary celebration day: ‘I take immense pride in evolving what was once my father’s hobby into the thriving Langham Wine Estate we see today and I am truly delighted to see the estate reach this milestone.
‘After visiting many of the world’s most highly regarded wine regions and having studied viticulture at Plumpton College, I decided to make my dream a reality. We planted 30 acres of vineyard in 2009 and have since expanded to 85 acres. In May, we planted 13,000 new Chardonnay vines on the final 10 acres of our planned expansion and are anticipating bountiful harvests in the years to come.
‘Behind our success lies a dedicated team whose passion and expertise produce the exceptional wines within our portfolio. I am very proud of what we have achieved so far.’

Low intervention wines
The Langham winery team is led by Tommy Grimshaw, who became the UK’s youngest head winemaker when he was just 24 years old. Not your traditional winemaker, Tommy worked his way up from labelling wine when he left school after his first year of A Levels. Now 28, he is constantly discovering ways to be creative in his winemaking, and is particularly focused on a low intervention approach, which includes only using grapes grown on the estate and hand-harvesting the grapes.
With a south-facing aspect, chalk soils and a unique microclimate, Crawthorne Vineyard provides a perfect terroir for ripening the classic champagne varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The winery’s exceptional wines are not only recognised in this country, but have won the biggest international awards, including the coveted Best Sparkling Wine Producer award at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in 2020.
In addition to the successful core range of wines, including Corallian, Culver, Rosé and Blanc de Blancs, this anniversary year has seen Langham Wine Estate release a new still wine, the first since 2020. The 2022 Chardonnay is named after Search for Enlightenment, by sculptor Simon Gudgeon, who has the gallery and sculpture park, Sculpture by the Lakes, near Tincleton.
The winery’s main production is sparkling wine. Still wine is only made in exceptional vintages, as 2022 undoubtedly was. At harvest, winemaking team Tommy Grimshaw and Andy Wiles agreed that the quality of fruit was great enough to make a still chardonnay, separating a portion of ripe juice from the heavier ‘taille’ fraction of the pressing. Langham’s oxidative style, use of old oak and wild yeast fermentation, has formed a wine of elegance, expressive of the cool climate and pure chalk soils of this corner of Dorset. This 2022 Chardonnay is also the first wine from the estate to be bottled in reused glass bottles.

Langham wines are expressive of the cool climate and the (here visible) pure chalk soils of this corner of Dorset

Representing the terroir
The WineGB Awards highlight the excellence of Britain’s wines and wine producers. The judging panel was this year headed by broadcaster and wine expert Oz Clarke and Masters of Wine Susie Barrie and Peter Richards.
Langham’s Corallian Classic Cuvée NV, Culver Classic Cuvée NV, Rosé NV, Blanc de Blancs NV and Pinot Noir 2019 all received gold medals and there was a silver medal for the new, limited edition, still Chardonnay, Search for Enlightenment 2022.
Tommy Grimshaw said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to receive a personal best from the WineGB Awards with five gold medals. We are dedicated to producing exceptional sparkling wines that truly represent our terroir, using only grapes grown on our 85-acre Dorset vineyard. We believe this commitment is crucial as the English wine scene continues to expand rapidly.
‘Our mission with our traditional method sparkling range is to produce wines which can be enjoyed throughout a meal, not just as an aperitif.’
Now in its 21st year, the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) is the world’s largest and most influential wine competition, renowned globally for the rigorous judging process and world-class judges. DWWA awarded silver medals to Langham’s Corallian Classic Cuvée NV, Culver Classic Cuvée NV, Blanc de Blancs NV and Pinot Noir 2019, and a bronze medal to the Rosé NV.

langhamwine.co.uk

Anthony Hurd (Tony)

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Editorial team

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26 July 2024

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28th August 1942 – 3rd July 2024

Husband of the late Joan Marilyn Ann Hurd. Passed away peacefully at home on 3rd Jul 2024 aged 81.

Beloved Dad to Maria, Michael, Michelle, Kristian and Jonathon. Much loved Grandad, Brother, Uncle, cousin and Father-in-law.Greatly and sadly missed by all who knew him, including friends & customers of Andrews Brothers in Marnhull & Stalbridge.

Private cremation service, family flowers only.

Any donations please make in his memory to Weldmar Hospicecare Trust who helped to look after Joan.

Sneaky spiders and the case of the fly-tipping that wasn’t | BV Podcast

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LauraHitchcock

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25 July 2024

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The first of July’s Podcast is a packed one – from hiding spiders and cancer-causing protein (or does it?) to the scourge of fly-tipping and the essential art of the hedgerow lifecycle…

Editor’s Letter from Laura – “…Hiding behind the idyllic facade of thatched roofs and high hedgerows lies an issue that has been overlooked, avoided and ignored by successive governments … the rural tax. Living in a rural area is significantly more challenging than urban living for those who are on a low income.”
Wildlife Writer Jane Adams talks to Jenny, about the amazing crab spider, which you may have spotted on some of the flowers in your garden … or maybe not…
“Crab spiders are amazing – I’ve occcasionally wondered why a fly was upside down on a flower, thinking what on earth is that doing? And it had actually been caught by a crab spider. But even looking at it, I couldn’t actually see the spider.”
Terry talks to Nutritional Therapist Karen Geary, looking at the real science behind the current trendy view that eating too much protein may cause cancer. “What I get concerned about more than anything else with people with cancer is they’re actually not eating enough protein: it is crucial for maintaining muscle and overall health during treatment.”
Farming columnist Andrew Livingston is talking to Jenny about the increasing problem of fly-tipping in rural areas, its impact on the environment, and the efforts made by farmers to combat it: “At the end of the day, we just clear it up, and it goes unreported – I don’t think we know the real scale of the issue.”
And he shares the case of the rubble’s mistaken identity: “It was dumped on the Thursday and we went on the Friday to move it, spread it and roll it … and it had disappeared!”
Lastly, Jenny reads Andrew’s interview with John Calder on the importance of hedgerow lifecycles: “if you go back a few generations they’d be laying hedges every year, but on different parts of the farm. And that means that there are hedges in different stages all over the farm. Turns out that’s what’s ideal for nature.”

All from the July issue of The BV magazine – the UK’s Regional Publication of the Year.

Grab a coffee and jump in to the Dorset-ness. News, opinion, people, wildlife, art, farming, what’s on, SO many horses … and frankly stunning photography. Did I mention it’s FREE? Why *wouldn’t* you want a flick through? (*don’t forget, we’re proud to be purely digital. The only way to read us is right here online!) Frankly, it’s so jam-packed with Dorset goodness, it’d be rude not to.

The BV is the ‘glossy’ monthly digital magazine from the rural heart of the Blackmore Vale.

Shakespeare’s shortest (and wildest) comedy!

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Editorial team

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25 July 2024

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The Three Inch Fools are back! The clock is ticking as they rush to untangle one almighty mess in this farcical tale of long-lost twins, hysterical misunderstandings and endless mishaps. With musical instruments in hand, expect a joyous take on this Shakespearean rib-tickler.
The Three Inch Fools are an innovative touring theatre company acclaimed for their fast-paced and musically driven approach to theatre. They have built a reputation for staging bold and vibrant productions in a fast-paced, musically-driven style which features all sorts of instruments and plenty of quick costume changes along the way!
Fri 16 August, 7pm. Higher Orchard, Sandford Orcas. 01963 220208
Gates open at 6pm – licensed bar, picnics welcomed. Please note this is an outdoor performance – bring your own chair/blanket to sit on. Assistance dogs only.
Tickets – artsreach.co.uk

Love Local Trust Local founder seeks a British Thanksgiving Day

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Editorial team

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24 July 2024

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On the 3rd of September we will be hosting the fourth Love Local Trust Local Food Awards at the Dorset County Show Members Pavilion. It makes us very happy to be celebrating and showcasing what has been grown and produced right here in Dorset.
In the UK we do not celebrate our food anywhere near as much as we should! The food that is produced in our homeland is absolutely world class.
Last autumn I wrote an article about American Thanksgiving celebrations, and how much I admired those traditions and the appreciation of the food on their tables. I truly believe that if we celebrated more of our own British food from our fisherman and farmers, it would bring so much more awareness of what we produce here in England.
Rishi Sunak hosted a Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street recently, and he is planning to make this an annual showpiece event (as long as he is still at No 10). This is wonderful news and incredibly welcome. But wouldn’t it be nice if we could make it a proper national celebration just like American Thanksgiving? It would definitely help people become more aware of what we British food producers and farmers do to put food on all our tables.

Making sense of it
I also have to once again say congratulations to Jeremy Clarkson on his new series. I love the fact that this series has given our British food sales a real boost. It’s exactly what we need people to think about when they are buying from the supermarkets.
They need to look at what is in season, buy it locally, cook it themselves and enjoy it. It’s as simple as that.
We have had the wettest 18 months since 1836… yet other countries are worried that they’ve had the driest of winters and won’t have enough water to see them through this summer. The planet and climate are all over the place and nothing makes sense.
In the middle of all this, please remember that our farmers are out on the front line in all this extreme weather, still trying to produce food for our country.
British farming leads the world in food security and production standards. We should all be very proud.
And that date for your diary is 3rd September 2024. If you would like to come and support us on this evening please contact us by e-mail [email protected] or phone 07831 184920.
Barbara Cossins
Founder, Love Local Trust Local

Crops and care at Rawston Farm

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Editorial team

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23 July 2024

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June at Rawston Farm: with crops finally growing well, James Cossins enjoys the June lull crucial meetings on crop varieties and mental health

Cereal harvesting at Rawston
in the mid 1960s

The past two months have been exceptionally busy at Rawston Farm. We completed our maize sowing at the beginning of May, and saw rapid germination due to the moisture available in the soil and the lack of cold weather. The old saying for maize is ‘knee high by the beginning of July’ and we’ve certainly surpassed that – my two-and-a-half-year-old grandson Albie is dwarfed by the crop already!
The next task was harvesting our first cut silage, which went well even as we dodged the predicted showers. The clamps are full, but maybe some quality was lost by being a week or two late cutting. We have just recently completed our second cut, which was made during the recent hot spell, allowing the grass to be cut and picked up straight away due to the heat.
We then look to our cereal harvest, which will probably start in the middle of July. The combines have been serviced and the grain stores cleaned – they will now be fumigated to remove any lurking insects from the previous year’s crop.
The crops look more promising than they did coming out of the winter, and the spring crops appear to have caught up, so let’s hope for a reasonable harvest.

The maize is growing so well it already dwarfs grandson Albie, the seventh generation of our family on this farm

A problem shared
The month of June can mean a less intense workload, so I managed to get off the farm and attend a number of meetings. In the combinable crop world, various agricultural supply companies put on open days to show new varieties of wheat, barley and other crops to help growers decide on the best ones for their own farms. We try to chose a new wheat variety each year, and have now chosen one with good disease resistance and good yield. We have already sold some of it for next year‘s harvest – a premium price has been offered by the end user, for bread and biscuit making.
At these industry events, various trials are being carried out to see how some of the traditional nitrogen fertiliser can be replaced by using bio stimulants, while maintaining the same yield. It will be interesting to see the results: most growers would like to reduce the amount of nitrogen used, thereby ensuring less is leached away into watercourses, but we need to maintain the yield from the crop.
This month I also attended a mental health awareness workshop organised by Dorset NFU together with the Dorset Farm Community Network (FCN). It was a very interesting morning, hearing about and discussing mental health awareness issues with specific reference to farmers. The day to day of life working in agriculture can bring up many stresses – weather, animal disease, staffing issues, the loneliness of working, financial pressures and family issues, to name but a few. And it’s not just farming. I know many business owners suffer from similar pressures.
My take-home messages were that sharing problems with family, friends or fellow farmers can relieve the daily pressure of work – especially when you realise that you are not alone… and it’s reassuring to find other farmers have the same issues.
I know we farmers are not great at sharing or talking about our problems, but we must not forget that all those who work on the land have similar pressures with long hours and lone working. The FCN is a great organisation, giving space and time for issues to be shared, talked through confidentially and to provide help where necessary. The FCN farm walks are also excellent – it’s always great to look at other farms and talk to fellow farmers.
Finally, let’s hope for some good weather at harvest time after last year’s dismal July and August!