What is the Protein Myth?

Breaking the Protein myth

So you think you have to eat meat to get protein? Think again.

What is the protein myth? The protein myth in nutrition is that protein equals meat. Proteins are organic compounds made up of amino acids. There are twenty-two standard amino acids. There are eight essential amino acids that your body does not produce and must be obtained through your diet.

When you eat proteins, your body has to break them down into amino acids to use them. Proteins help your body rebuild muscle as well as many other functions, but your body processes the proteins into a useable form. Think of it like a factory, if your body is spending time processing the proteins, it is using energy that it could be spending on more productive pursuits. If you could cut out the middle man and just eat the amino acids that proteins are built from, your body would be more efficiently processing the nutritional content from your diet.

Guess what has amino acids? Almost all the food you eat. Vegetables and legumes provide enormous sources of amino acids. Haven’t you ever wondered how elephants get so big? Or how gorillas get so strong? These animals only eat raw vegetation and yet they develop massive size and strength. These animals understand instinctively that the protein myth will not help them do what their diets are naturally designed for, helping them survive.

Below are some high quality vegetarian sources of proteins:

• Chickpeas
• Soya Beans
• Peanuts
• Bread

In the past, it was believed that vegetarian diets needed to have protein matching or protein combinations specifically setup in a single meal in order to derive all the essential amino acids. This is another myth that stood for many years in the same vein as the protein myth. Finally several studies have shown that humans store amino acids throughout the day. It is now widely accepted that a vegetarian diet that contains a variety of protein sources throughout the day will provide more than adequate nutritional value.

Rice and beans are a classic example of a vegetarian dish that combines proteins to provide a very high quality amino acid rich meal. There is a good reason that some form of this dish shows up in almost every culture around the world. Rice is a starch and provides high quality carbohydrates for energy, but also contains vitamin B and protein. Beans have a high protein content and are a good source of iron as well. But, more importantly, when you put them together they provide all the essential amino acids.

So what is the protein myth? It is a misconception that has been perpetuated by the meat industry in order to keep you eating meat. It is a result of limited exposure of information. It is the myth that protein equals meat. Meat is a good protein source, but it is not the sole source of protein. In many cases vegetarian sources of protein are easier to digest and easier for the body to process.

Interested in more info about vegetarianism? Check out What is a Vegetarian?