Getting Enough Protein?
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Not Getting Enough Protein? A Look at Misperceived Needs –
The World Health Organization recommends that people consume 15-20 gr of protein in their diet per day. That is less than 1 ounce. In the US however, the recommendation is much higher, as heavily influenced by the meat and dairy industry, and calls for 40 gr per day. Now let’s take a look at various diets to see if Americans are ever endangered of getting too little protein, which is often cited as concern by people when asked to embrace a healthier lifestyle:·
- The average meat-eater in the US takes in 120 gr of protein every day – 3 times the recommended amount!
- The average US vegetarian who does not consume meat but still eats dairy and eggs, gets 90 gr protein through the diet every day.
- An average vegan who does not consume any animal products and only eats plant-based foods still gets around 70 gr protein per day.
- If the average meat-eater stops consuming all animal products and just eats the plant-based foods that he currently eats, he would still get 35 gr of protein without supplementing anything – well in line with internationally acknowledged recommended daily amounts.
The above was confirmed by George Eisman – Registered Dietician and Nutrition Director of The Coalition for Cancer Prevention.
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About the author: Ina Mohan is founder of Belsandia where she also maintains a blog at:http://www.belsandia.com/healthy-living-blog.html
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Editor’s note: sources have not been verified.
This is in respect to protein quantity… I’m a vegeterian and I rather worry about protein quality… any info about this plz!!!
Your quote of 15-20g of protein daily is surprising, and significantly lower than others I’ve seen (incl. in the vegan literature, for example the book ‘Becoming Vegan’). Please provide links to the sources for this and your other claims.
And where does the 40g per day US recommendation come from? The government?
I visited the Coalition for Cancer Prevention (CCP) website:
http://www.all-creatures.org/ccp/
Let me quote from their website:
“The U.S. recommended intake of protein is 44 grams a day for an adult female, 56 grams a day for an adult male.”
http://www.all-creatures.org/ccp/articles-reducingmeat.shtml
So this source appears self-contradictory. The 15-20g figure is also not mentioned on their site as far as I can tell.
Finally, the CCP and their website do not strike me as a terribly authoritative source. Why choose this source? This is not to say that they, or you, are wrong; but your argument in its present form is simply not persuasive. (Please take this in the spirit it’s offered, as constructive criticism.)
To answer both of you, here are some additional resources for information about protein and vegan health:
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/veganism-is-healthy/
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/a-few-links-for-your-health/
http://www.vegansoapbox.com/where-do-you-get-your-protein-2/