What is this obsession with “protein”? The public has been
brainwashed to automatically think of animal products when they hear
the word “protein.” It’s akin to a knee-jerk reaction, when the truth
is that all protein (amino acids) originates in plants which animals
use to make their own protein. So when people eat meat, they are
eating second hand protein.
I was chatting with a longtime acquaintance of ours who had undergone
bypass surgery. For as long as we’ve known him, he’s been typical of
those whose diet consists mainly of meat and potatoes. He knew us even
before we had become vegans; and after that, I had mentioned once that
we were vegetarians. It seemed to go “over his head”; it was as though
he didn’t understand what that meant, or didn’t want to know.
One day, on the phone, he mentioned his health problems and the
conversation turned to “protein.” I said to him that elephants were big
and strong; and then I asked him, “What do elephants eat?” Missing the
point, he mumbled that he didn’t know. So I explained that in the wild,
elephants eat plants, which give them all the protein they need.
According to Dr. Neal Pinckney:
“An old myth that continues to circulate is that more protein is
needed to gain greater strength and athletic performance. It has been
repeatedly scientifically demonstrated this is not true. Excess
protein is either excreted or, more commonly, converted to fat.
Whether this extra protein is consumed in foods or in supplements, the
body treats it in the same way.”
“The average American consumes over 100 grams of protein a day,
more than three times the amount needed for optimum health and
nutrition. For reversing heart disease you should limit your intake of
protein to between ten and fifteen percent of calories. By eating a
variety of vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
and fruit you'll get all the protein you need.”
This protein propaganda, or mania, brings to mind a statement
attributed to Mark Twain: “A lie goes half way around the world before
truth puts on its boots.” There is too much money being made through the
consumption of animal products and their negative consequences for the
truth to overcome, any day soon, the lie circulated by the industries
with the most to gain and who stay in control by keeping the people dumb
and fearful – fearful of “not getting enough protein”!
See also:
http://www.all-creatures.org/health.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/health/sub-protein.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/health/sub-proteindiets.html
