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If you still want to focus on protein, focus on legumes and getting in 1-3 servings per day (a serving is 1/2 cup of cooked beans). Simply put, getting in enough protein is not a concern or a health issue for most of us.
Protein is one of the most misunderstood nutrients in our diets today. While
it receives an incredible amount of attention, there is little justification for
this level of attention and concern. Yet protein, specifically animal protein
(meat, chicken and/or fish), remains the main center of the plate at home and in
restaurants.
People seem so concerned about making sure they’re getting enough protein that
you would think protein deficiency is a common problem. However, true protein
deficiency, in the absence of inadequate calories or a junk-food diet which has
more serious problems than a lack of protein, is virtually non-existent — even
in athletes and those who are active and exercise regularly. In fact, in over 25
years of work in both clinical and public health, I have never seen one case of
true protein deficiency.
When people express their concerns over getting in enough protein, I always ask
them two questions:
Rarely has anyone been able to answer either, let alone both, of these
questions. Doesn’t that seem strange? Many people believe they are not
getting in enough protein, but no one knows how much they need or how much
they are getting. After all, without knowing this information, how can
anyone know a diet isn’t providing “enough”?
A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
highlighted some of the discrepancies between our perceived protein needs
and our actual protein needs [Fox EA, McDaniel JL, Breitbach AP, Weiss EP.
Perceived protein needs and measured protein intake in collegiate male
athletes: an observational study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2011;8:9.
Published 2011 Jun 21. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-8-9]. If anyone should know
their protein needs, it should be athletes, especially collegiate
strength-trained athletes. So, let’s see how they did.
In this study, forty-two strength-trained collegiate male athletes were
surveyed to find out their perception about their protein needs in specific
quantitative terms. Their responses were compared to the RDI of protein,
which is 0.8 g/kg/day. The results showed that 67% of the athletes surveyed
did not know the protein recommendations for athletes and were unable to
express them in any quantitative way. The remaining 33% of the athletes (who
said they did know the amount recommended) indicated that the average
recommended protein intake for athletes was 21.5 g/kg/d.
This is 26x the RDI!
One subject reported the mean recommended protein intake as 200 g/kg/d,
which is 250x the RDI! When this subject was excluded from the results, the
average recommended protein intake reported was still 8.7 g/kg/.
This is almost 11x the RDI!
Clearly, we have some perception problems with regard to protein. Even these
strength-trained athletes were unaware of what the current recommendations
are for protein intake and perceived their own protein needs to be much
greater than the current recommendations.
Yet, nature has made sure we are protected against a protein deficiency, as
all whole, natural foods are abundant in protein. Whole grains, starchy
vegetables, vegetables, and legumes are all excellent sources of
high-quality protein. Legumes may be one of the best sources of protein as
they are not only rich in fiber and nutrients and are very filling, they are
also very low in saturated fat and have no cholesterol. Based on most
national health recommendations, which encourage us to eat a more
plant-based diet and cut back on cholesterol and saturated fat, they sound
like the perfect fit.
Let’s put protein in its proper perspective. It is very easy to get in
enough protein and virtually impossible not to if you follow these three
simple guidelines:
If you do, you will easily surpass the amount of protein you need, even
if you are an athlete — even if you include no animal protein.
However, if you still want to focus on protein, focus on legumes and getting
in 1-3 servings per day (a serving is 1/2 cup of cooked beans). Simply put,
getting in enough protein is not a concern or a health issue for most of us.
So, let’s focus our attention on where it is really needed and not on issues
that are not a concern or a health issue. Let’s focus on the real health
issue of increasing our consumption of fruits, vegetables, starchy
vegetables, whole grains and legumes. In doing so, not only will we get in
enough protein, but we will also get in enough fiber, vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants and phytochemicals. This way, we can help reduce both our
personal risks and the national epidemics of obesity, heart disease, stroke,
diabetes and many cancers.
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We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.