The protein myth

The number one question most vegetarians arenutrition --- and essential to life. The importance of
asked is "How do you get enough protein?", and theeating enough protein, primarily from animal sources,
first question from people considering a vegetarianis drilled into us daily from childhood.
diet is "How will I get enough protein?"It's been estimated that the average person in this
The Myth of Protein is so widely accepted as factcountry eats two - six times more protein, usually
that even vegetarians believe it! It goes like this:from animals, than is needed for good nutrition. At it's
Protein is the most important nutrient in our diet, andmost extreme, our protein fixation has led to the
protein from meat, fish, poultry, milk and eggs ispopularity of high-protein low-carb weight loss diets,
superior to the incomplete protein from plant sources.condemned by doctors and nutritionists from coast
to coast.
Meat is the best protein source, and grains have littleThe development of factory farms and modern
or no protein.meat processing plants, aided by refrigeration, along
A vegetarian diet doesn't have enough protein, and iswith economic rail and truck shipping, made meat and
therefore unhealthy.dairy products widely available and affordable. The
Vegetarian Protein Realityresults, for our health, the environment, and world
Over the last few decades, wide spread practicalhunger, have been disastrous. Before the late 1800's
experience of vegetarian diet, knowledge ofmost of the world didn't eat a lot of meat, or dairy,
traditional cultures, and hundreds of health/dietas there just wasn't that much available for ordinary
studies, all tell a different story.people.
Too much protein is as harmful as too little, and isExcept in myths of the Wild West, the average
linked with shorter life expectancy, increased cancerperson didn't have a horse and gun to run around
and heart disease risk, widespread obesity andshooting things to eat, or a herd of cows to kill.
diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney stress, and badMostly they worked pretty hard, for not much
digestionmoney, and didn't have that much time.
High protein-diets bring about temporary weight-loss,Since the early 20th century, a meat and dairy
at the expense of overall health, and people quicklycentered diet has been heavily promoted as the
regain weight once they return to a normal dietanswer to dietary deficiencies, the flawed logic being
A varied vegetarian diet with a balance of protein,that since we're mammals, and our bodies are made
fats & carbohydrates, and adequate calorie intakewith protein, then we need to eat mammals in order
provides more than enough proteinto get enough protein and maintain our bodies. That
Complete animal protein is not superior to completecannibalistic logic doesn't hold up under the most
protein from more than one plant sourcecasual examination.
– they give the same result in differentUnfortunately most of recent human history is based
wayson flawed logic. And we tend to rewrite history
Protein from plant sources doesn't include excessabout every fifty years to harmonize with the
calories from fat, toxic residues, or ancurrent world view.
overabundance of protein, which stresses theThe world would be a much kinder, healthier place
kidneystoday if people had gone with greens, grains and
The Gospel According to Industrial Agriculturebeans instead of milk and meat as the solution to
Nothing in our modern human diet has been asdietary deficiencies. A few people did –
misunderstood, and as misrepresented, as protein. It'sthey adopted a vegetarian diet, and their dietary
considered by most people as the foundation ofprotein comes mainly from plants.