Protein Myth

The protein misconception. I know, I know, it's getting old, the whole, "but where do you get your protein?," interrogation. It just goes to show how the big business meat industry has successfully brainwashed the majority of people into believing that protein is some sort of significant super nutrient. You see, protein is a single nutrient, just like zinc, copper, magnesium, etc. But how come we don't go around asking where do you get your Zinc? Instead we ask about protein and calcium. Hmmm, protein and calcium. Interesting, considering the two largest food industries in the US are the meat and dairy industry. So I wanted to share some real information about protein and provide you with some resources.

1) Protein has somehow become synonymous with animal flesh. Call it animal flesh, call it dead carcass, call it meat....but it is not protein. It may contain protein, but meat in and of itself is NOT protein. Spinach contains a high amount of protein but we don't refer to it as protein. We call it spinach.









2) We don't actually need so much protein. The whole PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN, I NEED PROTEIN fixation is a result of a society conditioned by a meat (which isn't protein as I mention in #1) eating culture highly influenced by the meat industry. The human body on a biological level only requires a maximum of 10% of their daily calories come from protein. This number is satisfied by eating fruits, vegetables, and grains. The majority of Americans consume more than 10%. Actually, consuming larger percentages of animal protein is shown to cause a number of ailments and diseases such as kidney disease, and promote tumor growth. The China Study (the largest, longest, and most in depth nutritional study ever conducted) included a study with casein, which is an animal protein found in dairy. Every two weeks mice were given a different amount of casein. First they gave them 5% casein in their diets for two weeks, then they gave them 20% in the diets for two weeks. What happened was, as they gave the mice more casein, tumors would form and grow. When they started giving them only 5% casein, their tumors would shrink. They could actually watch cancer growth be turned on and off by the amount of casein in their diet.  Mother's milk is considered to be in high in protein, because as babies we are growing and need more of it, and even that is only about 6-8%. Dr. Douglas Graham uses protein in an analogy that makes it easier to understand. "Once your house (body) is built, it has little need for more bricks (protein). "


3) "So then what about all those body builders with big bulky muscles that live on high protein diets?"
 First of all, it is extremely unnatural for the human
body to look like this --->
Second of all, this is the result of creatine swelling
(assuming there is no steroid or performance enhancing drugs being used), not protein.
And last, contrary to popular belief protein does not make your muscles grow. "Eating more protein does not make your muscles bigger or grow faster. Your body converts excess protein into fat for storage or glucose for energy if you do not have enough carbohydrates in your diet." -Matthew Kadey





On the other hand, vegan Ironman triathlete, Brendan Brazier doesn't look like he is lacking in the protein area, and has a body more comparable to
the anatomical man.

4) If you are still concerned about not getting enough protein on a plant based diet, just think about all the herbivores out there who live exclusively off of plants. Rhino's, Apes, horses, giraffe's.....do they look like they have protein deficiencies? Speaking of protein deficiency, there is no such thing...there is no medical terminology for it (like iron deficiency is called anemia)...and if you were protein deficient then you would also have to be malnourished and everything deficient because you wouldn't be eating, therefore protein would be the least of your concerns.

5) Finally, still convinced that you need animal flesh for protein? Well, this brings me into acidic and alkaline foods. Our body thrives in an alkaline environment. Most of the foods included in the SAD (Standard American Diet) are considered acidic food sources. Meat and dairy are considered acidic foods. Foods that are acidic cannot be properly absorbed by the body, and in fact the body must neutralize the acid by drawing calcium from our bones when consuming things like milk. So all the while we have been made to believe that milk prevent osteoporosis, when in fact it is causing it. So, if you really want good quality protein, it would be best to get them from plant sources because they are alkaline, making them more healthily absorbed by the body.

For more information about protein and other nutrients, I recommend reading The China Study and 80/10/10. 80/10/10 especially breaks down this information in a practical way that anyone can understand.