Do We Require Animal Protein?
Will We Wither Away Without Meat?
There are strong cultural beliefs that surround the idea that we need meat in order to survive. We need the protein after-all, don't we? Surely if we don't eat meat we just won't get the protein we need to support our muscles, and we'll just wither away.
I'm here to tell you today that nothing could be further from the truth and animal products are absolutely unnecessary when it comes to maintaining optimal health or supporting and building our muscles.
Plant Based Protein
Plant based diets do not leave you anemic or protein deficient. On the contrary, people on plant based diets have been shown to have HIGHER levels of protein in their blood on average than omnivores. How is this possible?
There are two main reasons:
1) The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) states that we need about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight, coming out to 56g for an average man and 42g for an average woman. However, even these estimates are much too high and are constantly being re-evaluated and lowered all the time. We believe 30g of protein is plenty, otherwise you risk damage to your kidneys. On a well-planned plant based diet you can easily blast through this DRI with a diet rich in lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, quinoa, and buckwheat. These are all plant based protein powerhouses!
2) Inflammation. Inflammation lowers the liver's protein production and animal products are known to cause high levels of inflammation. Endotoxins are one such animal byproduct that can NOT be cooked out and significantly contribute to inflammation in the gut and the body as a whole. Lower your inflammation and your liver produces more protein. A plant based diet is the most proven diet in the world to lower inflammation.
The Science Is In
Plant based diets are some of the most well-studied dietary plans in the world and as a result we have a wealth of scientific literature. The science is in: properly planned plant based diets contain enough protein and are nutritionally adequate to support optimum health. Not only that but plant based diets have been shown to be effective in reversing disease and they're also more environmentally sustainable.
If you're looking to take back your health with a plant based diet, don't be afraid that you'll end up deficient in protein, iron, or other nutrients. Plant based diets have PLENTY of protein, are HIGHLY anti-inflammatory, nutrient RICH, and they're the best researched eating plans for treating and reversing chronic illness.
Mercy Ballard