| The myth that we do not need to watch our protein | | | | one thing, the variable, however, since humans do |
| intake is deeply embedded in American traditions and | | | | not live in a laboratory setting, results would be |
| has become one if the backbones in the Standard | | | | difficult to compare. Nonetheless, these results |
| American Diet. The National Meat and Dairy Councils | | | | became adopted as the Official Nutrition Doctrine of |
| are the most prevalent and therefore influential | | | | the United States. Since then, there has been more |
| resources of information on nutrition in the U.S. These | | | | than 77 years of research suggesting otherwise, but |
| councils also have leaders that switch back and forth | | | | we do not hear about any of this from our common |
| between the industry and regulation sides of the U.S. | | | | modalities of nutritional information do we? |
| food supply. Normally, it is not ideal that an industry | | | | The leading scientific authorities say there is a direct |
| also be involved in the regulation and education of | | | | correlation between diet and disease and that we |
| their product. | | | | need to cut out animal products, processed foods |
| Our health care is ranked #41 and yet it is the most | | | | and sugary foods from our diet. This requires a |
| expensive of any other country. Our leading causes | | | | complete revamping of the Standard American Diet. |
| of death are heart disease, followed by medical care, | | | | Harvard researchers investigating strict plant food |
| and then cancer. Both heart disease and cancer are | | | | diets say we cannot become protein deficient by |
| nutrition-related. So, our current state of health & | | | | eating a mixed vegetable diet. The conservative |
| diet confirm that the Standard American Diet & | | | | National Academy of Science says that athletes do |
| protein intake is not working for us. | | | | not need any more protein than non-athletes, they |
| With respect to protein, the National Dairy Council | | | | need more calories. Dr. McDougall, a leading medical |
| recommends we get 13-17% of our total calories | | | | authority on nutrition has stated that Osteoporosis is |
| coming from protein. This is a curious number, since | | | | a disease caused by many factors, but the most |
| T. Colin Campbell found in his 40 year study on diet | | | | important factor is an excess of protein in the diet, |
| and health that eating any more than 3-5% of our | | | | where there is an inversely related relationship |
| calories from protein led to disease onset. It is also | | | | between protein and calcium loss. A March 1983 |
| curious that 13-17% of calories in the Standard | | | | article in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported in the |
| American diet is from protein. Their protein | | | | largest study of this kind ever conducted that "male |
| recommendation comes from a study conducted in | | | | vegetarians had an average measurable bone loss of |
| 1914 by Osborn and Mendel on rats where the | | | | 3%, male meat-eaters had an average measurable |
| carnivorous animals grew faster on animal than plant | | | | bone loss of 7%, female vegetarians had an average |
| protein. However, rats and humans have completely | | | | measurable bone loss of 18%, and female |
| different digestive systems with rats being designed | | | | meat-eaters had an average measurable bone loss of |
| for rapid digestion and expulsion of animal protein, | | | | 35%." An article published in the Journal of the |
| while humans are designed for slow digestion and | | | | American Medical Association entitled "Rapid |
| absorption of every last nutrient in plant foods. Also, | | | | Growth-Shorter Life" found that "animal-protein |
| no tests were ever conducted on humans to verify | | | | measurably shortened the life spans of a number of |
| the results applied also to humans. Lastly, in a | | | | different animals. |
| laboratory setting, everything is controlled except | | | | |