PROTEIN. Every American knows the word. However, most do not know what it is, where it comes from, or when it was discovered. Health officials and government bodies state that protein is a requirement. Although, we are not hearing the entire story.
Let this article challenge our preconceived notions and look deeper into what protein actually is.
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Brief History
Protein has existed since primordial times. However, it was not scientifically discovered until 1838 when a chemist named Gerardus Johannes Mulder formally described the compound in a paper titled “On the composition of some animal substances.” This paper ignited a debate in the scientific community. Was protein only found in animals? No, in this paper he stated that “animals draw most of their protein from plants.” Sadly it was too late though, as the idea that animals contained protein and plants did not took off in the public imagination. This in large part led to the ideas still in circulation today, that “protein comes from meat” and “you can’t get protein without animal products”, etc.
What is protein?
While it is often measured in grams, it really should be measured by what it is composed of. It consists of long strings of amino acids put together to form a macro-molecule known as “protein”. The word comes from the Greek word “Proteos” which means “Of prime importance.”
Why is dietary protein important?
Amino acids are the building blocks of life. In addition, they also play important roles in how our cells make energy and are important for brain functioning. We can produce 11 of the 20 amino acids needed to maintain our bodies. As a result, the remaining 9 are deemed essential amino acids. Varying levels of amino acids are found in plant and animal foods.
How much do I need?
Athletes only need a max of 10% of calories from protein to achieve a positive nitrogen balance, and the average individual could use even less. Per the World Health Organization’s recommendation, 5% calories from protein is ideal. Out of balance diets decrease performance because the bones and liver are taxed with breaking the excess down to create sugars and fats which are stored, while releasing excess nitrogen through the urine.
Calculate your protein intake healthy requirement:
Won’t I become deficient on a plant-based diet?
Ultimately, all protein comes from plants. They are the only organisms on the planet that can take solar radiation to form glucose, and nitrogen from the atmosphere to form amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. All animal sources are second-hand. As a result, we can cut out the “middle-cow” and go straight to the source! The worlds’ strongest land animals, including elephants, gorillas, horses, ox, and rhinos, are all herbivores. They consume nothing but plants and have some of the highest strength levels recorded in the animal kingdom.
There is not a single case study in the scientific medical literature in recorded history of protein deficiency occurring with sufficient caloric intake. Eating the lowest protein plant foods, rice and potatoes, 2,000 calories of just those foods will give sufficient protein.
What is the complete protein myth?
Certainly, a common sentiment against vegetarian and vegan diets that I remember learning as a child from Bill Nye was that plants had incomplete proteins. First, this means that you would need to plan carefully and eat a combination of plant foods in order to get all the amino acids you needed. A common example of rice and beans together forming a complete protein was provided. However, the thought as was that by eating meat you would have all the amino acids you needed in one food without worry.
This is only partially true as all foods have amino acids present at varying levels. A single serving of a vegetable or meat may not hit 100% of your daily requirements, however. Although, if you eat 2000 calories of a single vegetable you would reach the minimum AA requirement for those that were less than 100%. This doesn’t need to be planned. Instead, you can easily reach 5-10% of daily calories just by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, nuts and seeds. Anyways, how many times have you tried living off of a single food (Man eats potatoes for 2 months)?
Protein in Plants
In comparing a plant-based diet to a meat based diet, examples of oatmeal (2000 calories = 82 grams) and corn (3000 calories = 80 grams) show that plant foods are high in amino acids. Just by eating to meet caloric needs we will achieve at least 5% if not 10% of total calories from protein.
A typical plant-based day…
Breakfast: 2 cups of oatmeal for breakfast (21.3g). Berries (1 g/cup). Soy milk ( 8g/cup). Ground flax seed ( 1.9g/tbsp).
Lunch: Brown rice (5g/cup). Sweet potatoes(1.05g per 0.5 cup). ¼ cup black beans (9.75g per 0.25cup).
Dinner: Potatoes (4.2 g/cup). Mixed veggies topping (4.9 g/cup) and a sauce.
Total this up and after eating a days worth of typical plant-based meals this is approximately 57.2 grams without extra snacks or supplements. For an individual weighing 150lbs this is over the RDA of 56grams/day. This is just an example of how plant-based diets naturally have a sufficient amount.
Even athletes will be able to have their minimum intake easily met. Although they may have to be cautious that they don’t overload. Snacks like broccoli (8.29g/100 cal) and peanuts (7g/160 cal) carry a high protein component for someone trying to increase calorie intake.
The more the better, right?
Most Americans get much more protein than they need to be healthy. A set of laboratory experiments on rats in the 1950’s, which found that rats can survive on 3-5% protein as a percentage of daily calories is what formed the RDA (The China Study by T. Colin Campbell). This was increased by 2 standard deviations so that 98% of the US population would get adequate intake, which equals about 10%. To put this in perspective, most Americans get approximately 15-25% daily RDA. Finally, this is up 4-8 times the amino acids that our bodies need, and the excess cannot be stored and instead has to be disposed of!
These extra amino acids are taxing on every organ in our body and leads to damage over time. Excess can lead to bone disorders, calcium balance issues, and liver damage over time. These issues take a long time to develop inside of our bodies and are not evident immediately. View some of these issues in this quick video found here: The Great Protein Fiasco.
So where do we stand now?
We could write an entire novel about protein, how it’s sourced, and what our bodies do with it. But for now we will end this topic here. Plants are the only nitrogen fixers, meaning that all amino acids come from plants. Choosing animal products may provide a higher protein/calorie ratio, but since we only need 10% of our calories from protein, this should be limited. Eating a more plant centered diet will allow for optimal protein levels and a wide variety of nutrients.
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