Getting Past the 'Protein Myth' That Keeps People from Quitting Meat and
Dairy
By Kathy Freston, Huffington Post
Posted on June 3, 2008
http://www.alternet.org/story/86942/
When I tell people that I'm a vegan, the most popular
question, by far, inevitably follows: "But, how do you get
enough protein?"
There it is again, I think, the meat industry's most potent
weapon against vegetarianism -- the protein myth. And it is
just that -- a myth.
In fact, humans need only 10 percent of the calories we
consume to be from protein. Athletes and pregnant women
need a little more, but if you're eating enough calories
from a varied plant based diet, it's close to impossible to
not to get enough.
The way Americans obsess about protein, you'd think protein
deficiency was the number one health problem in America. Of
course it's not -- it's not even on the list of the
ailments that doctors are worried about in America or any
other countries where basic caloric needs are being met.
What is on the list? Heart disease, cancer, diabetes,
obesity -- diseases of affluence. Diseases linked to eating
animal products. According to the American Dietetic
Association, which looked at all of the science on
vegetarian diets and found not just that they're healthy,
but that they "provide health benefits in the prevention
and treatment of certain diseases."
They continue: "Well-planned vegan and other types of
vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life
cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy,
childhood and adolescence ... Vegetarians have been
re****ted to have lower body mass indices than
nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from
ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood
cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates
of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon
cancer."
Dr. Dean Ornish writes of his Eat More, Weigh Less
vegetarian diet -- the one diet that has passed peer-review
for taking weight off and keeping it off for more than 5
years -- that in addition to being the one scientifically
proven weight loss plan that works long-term, it "may help
to prevent a wide variety of other illnesses including
breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, colon
cancer, lung cancer, lymphoma, osteo****osis, diabetes,
hypertension, and so on ...."
So when people ask me about protein, I explain that protein
is not a problem on a vegan diet, that the real problems
that are plaguing us in the West can be addressed in part
with a vegetarian diet, and that I get my protein the same
way everyone else does -- I eat!
Beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, and whole grains are packed
with protein. So are all vegetables as a caloric
percentage, though they don't have enough calories to
sustain most people as a principal source of sustenance.
And these protein sources have some excellent benefits that
animal protein does not -- they contain plenty of fiber and
complex carbohydrates, where meat has none. That's right:
Meat has no complex carbs at all, and no fiber. Plant
proteins are packed with these essential nutrients.
Plus, since plant-based protein sources don't contain
cholesterol or high amounts of saturated fat, they are much
better for you than meat, eggs, and dairy products.
It is also worth noting the very strong link between animal
protein and a few key diseases, including cancer and
osteo****osis.
According to Dr. Ornish (this may be the most interesting
link in this article, by the way -- it's worth reading the
entire entry), "high-protein foods, particularly excessive
animal protein, dramatically increase the risk of breast
cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and many other
illnesses. In the short run, they may also cause kidney
problems, loss of calcium in the bones, and an unhealthy
metabolic state called ketosis in many people."
The cancer connection is spelled out at length in a
fantastic book by Cornell scientist T. Colin Campbell,
called The China Study. Basically, there is overwhelming
scientific evidence to implicate that animal protein
consumption causes cancer.
And just a few quick anecdotal points:
* Olympian Carl Lewis has said that his best year of
track competition was the first year that he ate a vegan
diet (he is still a strong proponent of vegan diets for
athletes).
* Strength trainer Mike Mahler says, "Becoming a vegan
had a profound effect on my training. ... [M]y bench press
excelled past 315 pounds, and I noticed that I recovered
much faster. My body fat also went down, and I put on 10
pounds of lean muscle in a few months."
* Bodybuilder Robert Cheeke advises, "The basics for
nutrition are consuming large amounts of fresh green
vegetables and a variety of fruits, to load yourself up
with vibrant vitamins and minerals."
A few other vegans, all of whom sing the praises of the
diet for their athletic performance: Ultimate fighter Mac
Danzig, ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, Minnesota Twins
pitcher Pat Neshek, Atlanta Hawks Guard Salim Stoudamire,
and Kansas City Chiefs tight-end Tony Gonzalez.
And let's not forget about tennis star Martina Navratilova,
six-time Ironman winner Dave Scott, four-time Mr. Universe
Bill Pearl, or Stan Price, the world-record holder in bench
press. They are just a few of the successful vegetarian
athletes.
Basically, vegans and vegetarians needn't fret about
protein, but many Americans do need to worry about their
weight, heart disease, cancer, and other ailments -- many
of which can be addressed by healthier eating, including a
vegan or vegetarian diet.
Vegetarians and vegans get all the nutrients our bodies
need from plants, and will thus, according to the science,
be more likely to maintain a healthy weight and stave off a
variety of ailments, from heart disease to cancer.
For answers to other popular questions about conscious
eating, please check out my previous post on the topic
here.
Happy eating!
End of forwarded message
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