The Truth about meat and proteins

Have you ever heard someone say; “but if I don’t eat meat (any type of meat) where do I get my protein?” Or maybe you have even said it or thought about it… but it’s ok – you belong to the general population who think the same way because that is exactly what we were taught throughout the years. So what to believe then?

Ok here is the real deal about proteins to give you a clearer understanding with true facts.

Proteins, on a technical definition, are compounds formed by chains of amino acids (amino acids are essential to our body for the variety of roles it play in our body); some amino acids can be produced by our own body and some cannot so we need to get them from the food we eat, those are called “essential” amino acids. Human beings need protein in order to build muscle tissues, to repair worn out tissues and for energy production.

The major sources of protein, as we have known and were taught, are animal-origin products especially from cattle and poultry. One of the major reasons is that animal protein resembles more closely to the human-body-protein than plant-origin-protein. Hmmm…that would be an excellent argument for eating your neighbor! But even the heartiest meat-eater would find that idea repulsive.

However, that is precisely the problem and the most misunderstood area of the consumption of meat because we have been lead to believe that eating protein will build protein in the body, in other words: Protein is not built in the body by eating protein. Protein is built from the amino acids in food (remember the definition?).

Let’s try to understand a bit more about amino acids to understand more about this protein issue.

The body cannot use or assimilate protein in its original state as eaten. The protein must be first digested and split into its component of amino acids. The body then can use these amino acids to construct the protein it needs. The ultimate value of a food’s protein lies in its amino acid composition. It is the amino acids that are essential components. All nutritive material is formed in the plant kingdom; animals have the power to appropriate but never to form or create protein’s source (the eight essential amino acids). Plants can synthesize amino acids from air, earth, and water, but animals, including humans are dependant on plant protein, either directly by eating the plant, or indirectly, by eating an animal that has eaten the plant. There are no essential amino acids in flesh that the animal did not get from the plants, and that humans cannot also get from plants. In fact where do animals, even the strongest animals in the world (cow, oxen, horses, buffalos, and gorillas) get the protein to grow, to live and to be that strong? What do they eat? Grass, leaves, fruits.

Shouldn’t we eat the same?

Think about it!