The Great Protein Myth! Even though we have explained the truth about protein in details in our health education program, seminars and literature, and its role in human nutrition have been known for nearly a century, there still rages a conflict and a state of confusion on the subject. I know this because when I tell people what I eat the first thing they ask is “where do you get your protein”? The misconception and confusion are primarily encouraged by commercial business interests that are selling protein products, primarily the meat and dairy industries. Even the American government prates the lines that serve these well-established interests. The truth will not down but ever keeps rising to fuel the fire of this controversy. To start, I would like to dismiss some of the widespread myths about protein. MYTH #1: We must have meat for best health. The argument goes that the best source for protein is meat inasmuch as it has all the necessary amino acids in a very assimilable form. Even well-known nutritionist (in so-called health food circles) have gone on record as stating the more nearly the composition of the flesh is to human flesh the more wholesome it is for us. Of course there was never a better argument made for cannibalism than this! The “we must have meat argument” is obviously good for the meat-packing industry and it is deliberately absurd, bizarre, meaningless and illogical – The argument obviously destroys itself. Because, if this were true every species could live from other animals and best of all from its own kind! The fact that almost all animals, including humans, do not have the anatomical and physiological equipment to make good use of any kind of meat is conveniently overlooked or denied. Cattle, rabbits, elephants, horses, etc. are herbivores and are equipped only for a leaf/grass diet. There are a class of graminivores, primarily birds, that thrive on grains of various grasses. There are animals that thrive on fruits. And so it goes. Every animal has a class of food to which it is adapted. Humans are anatomically and physiologically adapted to a diet of fruits, vegetables and nuts and can beneficially use certain seeds and legumes under certain conditions. The truth to this is denied by commercial interests and their “scientific” apologists. (Somebody who argues to defend or justify a particular doctrine or ideology) An educated population would bring an and to their niche in the market place.
MYTH #2: We must have all the essential amino acids at every meal. This argument is based on two premises: A] That the body does not store protein or amino acids and B] that, in order to synthesize protein, no more protein can be created by the body than the amount creatable as determined by the least bountiful supply of the essential amino acids. Every protein link requires so much of such and such amino acids and if any are missing from the meal, no proteins requiring these amino acids can be synthesized. This argument too, is absurd and meaningless. It is not necessary to point out with details that man, animals fast for lengthy periods, and that, instead of suffering protein deficiency, the end of the fast finds them WITH RESTORED PROTEIN BALANCE! Myth #3: A high protein diet is helpful and the body requires about one gram of protein for each two pounds of body weight. Obviously, the body needs only what it needs and can use no more than what it needs. This “just right” amount of protein has been determined to be about one gram for each five pounds of body weight for mature humans of normal disposition. The one gram for each two pounds of body weight is about what a baby requires for maintenance and rapid growth. Clearly, adults do not require as much. The belief in a high protein diet or that we cannot get too much of it is a source of highly pathological (relating to disease or arising from disease ) eating practices among Americans and other people of the world. It is appropriate that we have this little booklet/report to set aright the attitude of those whom it touches in this most crucial aspect of human nutrition. Let us dig a little deeper and find out what protein really is! What is Protein? In 1938, a chemist named Mulder isolated a substance containing nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and some other incidental elements (some proteins also contain sulphur, iron, phosphorus, or iodine). He claimed this was the basis of life, and named it “Protein” – meaning “First Rank”. Protein is everywhere, continuously, and simultaneously present throughout the whole of creation. There is protein in every living thing. The human body is 70% water and about 15% protein, say about 20 to 25 pounds of protein, of which almost half can be lost without serious danger. All proteins are composed of Amino Acids (also known as the building blocks of protein). Each plant or animal must highly structure its own protein. Plants can synthesize amino acids from air, earth and water, but animals are dependent on plant protein, either directly by eating the plant, or indirectly by eating an animal, which has eaten the plant. Protein is a food element, which is useless and poisonous to the human organism unless it is broken down into its fundamental amino acids, which are the nutrients from which we must elaborate our own protein.
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What is the best kind of protein we must use!