Truth behind protein myths
Many of us believe that consuming animal products is the only way to ensure enough protein in our diet. But is that true?
Protein is a very important part of our diet, as it consists of the 20 amino acids which are the essential building components of cells, muscles, and tissues, among others.
A human body can only produce 12 of these vital compounds, and therefore we need to resource the remaining eight from our diet.
And while most of the people would point, without hesitation, at meat and its derivatives as the only food that consists protein, it turns out that many plants are able to produce all of the 20 amino acids as well!
How else would some of the largest plant eating mammals get enough protein in their diets, considering that they too need to ingest the missing amino acids, just like us?
So how much protein do we need in a day?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that five per cent of the calories we consume every day come from protein. This means that an average male, consuming 3000 calories a day, needs 38 grams of protein; and a woman who consumes 2,300 calories a day, needs 29 grams of protein.
Do plants contain enough protein?
Surprisingly, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and lettuce contain as much protein as chicken. However, that refers to the amount of protein per calorie, which means that we would need to consume a larger portion of vegetables, to obtain the same amount of protein as from a smaller piece of chicken. But that is not necessarily a bad thing; by switching to plant-based protein sources, we increase the quantity of greens on our plate, which offer plenty of nutrients in general, plus we reduce the risk of exceeding the recommended daily intake of protein.
What if you consume too much protein?
The recent studies show that the average citizen of the developed countries eats too much protein, and thus is prone to developing such ailments as renal disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, and even cancer.
What are the best plantbased protein sources?
Fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts are great sources of protein, especially spinach, broccoli, kale, almonds, chickpeas, lentils, peanut butter, peas, tofu, brown rice, beans, sprouts, and quinoa.
Source: Daily Tribune
Published: 15 Mar 2014
