Protein: The Facts and Myths

This article was originally published as an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday, 2 July 2024: https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-808532

There is probably no field of science, where nontruths are turned into absolute facts and false paradigms are built, more than in the world of nutrition. I have seen “health coaches” on social media talk about the great health advantages of consuming large amounts of animal protein despite overwhelming evidence indicating the opposite is true. In fact, I received a message from a health coach last month pointing out how vegans have more bone fractures. Yes, there are contradictory studies about that. Still, compare that to the fact that healthy vegans outlive those who eat the standard American diet by more than 10 years!

When I tell my clients to eat soy because it’s incredibly healthy, they ask me if it will cause cancer. The opposite is true, it indeed prevents cancer! Upon suggesting to a type 2 diabetic to include potatoes in his diet, I’ve been asked if I am trying to kill him. Sadly, clients of mine who were put on ketogenic diets by their doctors, all in the name of weight loss, are now battling chronic disease.

All this is a result of false information being disseminated -all the time- about which foods are good and which are bad. This reductionist way of looking at nutrition is detrimental and leads people to consume foods that are harmful.

Protein requirements

Of all the myths that abound about nutrition, none has taken hold as much as that of our protein requirements. How much and what kind of protein should I eat? Can I really get all of the essential amino acids without eating animal proteins?

Any of you who are vegan undoubtedly have been asked the question, “Where do you get your protein?” I find it interesting that most of the people asking that question have no idea what protein is or how much of it a person needs. Registered dietician, Brenda Davis points out, the animal products have received what we call “health halos.” We view animal products as supposedly good for us and as foods that help us avoid disease. But are they really essential?

A protein is a chain of 20 amino acids. 9 of these are what we call essential – the body won’t make them on its own so we need to get them from food sources.

Proteins have multiple tasks in the body including maintaining cell structure, helping with digestion, building muscle, transporting oxygen through the blood, and more. We need protein.

Getting enough of what we need

Enough protein on average is 0.67 grams per kilogram of weight. Dr. Christopher Gardner, the leading nutrition researcher at Stanford University, points out that the average American is eating about twice as much protein as they need. What happens to all of that excess protein we consume, especially from animal products? It stores as fat. So what’s the best way to get the best quality protein, without getting too much and without getting the unhealthy baggage?

Plants have it all

It might surprise you, but plants have all the essential amino acids that make up a complete protein. Some have more and some have less. During interviews over the past year, Dr. Gardner and Dr. David Katz both state that, as long as you are eating across the spectrum of a healthy vegan food groups, you’re covered. Protein deficiencies are extremely rare. We should be getting about 9-10% of calories from protein, but most people are getting 16% or more. Protein is important, but no more important than any other macronutrient.

When we get protein from animals, eggs, and dairy, there is a strong downside. There are high amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol that are contained in animal products. Aside from that, the carnitine and choline in animal proteins end up as the highly inflammatory molecule TMAO. TMAO is now considered a leading cause of blood clots resulting in heart attacks and strokes. There is insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1), found prominently in dairy, which has been linked to hormonal cancers and hormone imbalances. There are also the heterocyclic amines, advanced glycation end-products, and ingestion of dioxins from the polluted air animals breath. These are all firmly linked to chronic disease.

When you get your proteins from plants, you get all you need and it doesn’t come with disease causing compounds. If you are eating whole-grains, like brown rice and quinoa, fruits and vegetables (especially the green leafys) and legumes, like beans, lentils and chickpeas, you are all set. All that protein comes without the dangerous stuff. And here’s the bonus – you get a lot of fiber! While we are not at all protein deficient, we are definitely fiber deficient. Average fiber intake is only 15 grams a day. We require close to 40—and more might be better.

All the better

In a joint project between the University of Bologna in Italy and the Stanford University School of Medicine, a comprehensive review looked at meta-analyses from 2000 to 2023 to evaluate the impact of vegetarian and vegan diets on the risk of cancer and cardio-metabolic diseases. After pooling data from 48 meta-analyses the researchers noted that vegetarians and vegans were significantly less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and cancer. They also tended to have better cardio-metabolic health overall, with less inflammation, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and leaner BMIs than people who ate meat and poultry.

Protein deficiency is just NOT a problem! By eating a plant predominant diet with variety, you will get every nutrient you need, except for vitamin B12 (so you will need to supplement that). You will certainly cover your protein needs when you eat vegetables, fruits, whole-grains, legumes and some nuts and seeds. You will also get lots of fiber. Fiber is a long subject just by itself. I plan to cover that topic in the future. For now, by getting our proteins from plant sources, we “add hours to our day, days to our year and years to our life.”