The protein myth
This entry was posted on Saturday, January 17th, 2009
If you’re vegan or vegetarian, chances are you’ve had to grapple with the protein question - usually asked by a well-meaning friend or relative. For whatever reason, meat has become synonymous with protein in much of the developed world and if you’re not eating meat…
Where do you get your protein?
Contrary to popular opinion protein isn’t really a problem for vegans and vegetarians who eat a healthy, varied plant-based diet. All plant foods contain amino acids that are used by our bodies to make protein, so if you’re eating enough calories and a wide variety of plant foods you should have an adequate intake.
What exactly is protein?
Proteins are organic compounds made up of 20 different amino acids. They work together in the body to form certain tasks such as maintaining cell shape or helping to metabolise food. The word protein comes from the Greek ‘proteios’ meaning ‘primary’.
Essential amino acids - the building blocks of protein
Humans and animals are capable of making some of the amino acids that form proteins on our own, but there are others that we need to source from elsewhere. These are called essential amino acids and we get them by eating foods that contain protein. There are 9 essential amino acids necessary for human adults to maintain health.
Protein combining - more myth than truth
Nearly all whole foods contain protein and usually all proteins have some of the 20 amino acids present in different amounts. Foods that have good quantities of all essential amino acids are known as complete protein foods. Vegan examples of these are quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, hemp seeds, soy beans and spirulina.
It used to be thought that in order to give amino acids a chance to work together in the body they had to all be consumed in one meal. However Frances Moore Lappe, the author who popularised this myth, has said that ‘in combating the myth that meat is the only way to get high quality protein, I reinforced another myth’ (the need for protein combining at the same meal).
We don’t need to combine proteins in this way to achieve optimum health - eating a variety of plant-based foods over several different meals is sufficient.
Plant protein:
Plant foods that are particularly high in protein include:
- legumes
- soy
- nuts
- grains
- vegetables
How much protein do we need?
Generally, if you’re eating enough calories and getting enough energy through the day, you’re probably getting enough protein. All plant foods contain protein so it’s rare to find a lack of protein in a varied, whole foods vegan diet (if your diet isn’t varied and you subsist on margarine, sugar and alcohol you might be at risk however).
Protein deficiencies aren’t really very common in countries like the US and the UK where the majority of the population have access to enough food. Although in countries where poverty is widespread protein deficiency is high.
Excessive protein consumption (especially of animal protein) is more common in industrialised countries. It has been linked to diseases that have become common like cancer and heart disease.
If you’re concerned about your protein intake, see your local GP or a qualified nutritionist to talk things over.
Want to know more?
If you want to know more about plant-based living, protein and health, I’d recommend starting here:
January 21st, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Great article! Most people don’t realize that our bodies only need a certain amount of protein, and then we get rid of the excess in our urine. And, they also don’t know that animal protein often does more harm than good. For example, in the milk protein casein, it actually steals calcium from our bones. So, milk doesn’t really do a body good!
August 4th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Very nice post on nutrition. Hope to learn more from you.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:53 am
Found your blog while browsing Google. Bookmarked. Looking forward to more nutrition tips.
August 18th, 2009 at 6:20 am
Came across your post as I was looking for whey protein related info. Very nice post. Hope to learn more from you.
August 25th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Yes, the myth Francis refers to, that all the essential (incomplete) proteins must be in one meal, misses the mark of truth. However, the truth is that if you fail to combine them within 4 hours, you lose the benefit of combining, since your body can only hold the imbalanced (incomplete) proteins that long. By ignoring the timing, you create a new myth - just like she did.
November 11th, 2009 at 6:25 am
Mike, that’s incorrect. The body is able to draw amino acids from its own reserves to complete proteins. Eat and balanced diet and these reserves will be in turn replenished. No need to make things more complicated than what they are.