Most of us have heard the fact stated, "Plant proteins are incomplete and not as nutritional for you as meat protein because they don't have all the amino acids essential to our bodies." This is apart of the "'un-science' of common sense" theme of Dr. Sears we love and practice so much, learn more here.
Even Wikipedia has caught onto the myth and is attempting to correct this common misconception about plant based diets and nutrition. Debunking this myth and encouraging our friends and family to turn to vegetable protein is the best thing we can do during mealtime. At Erthi.com we don't practice a dictation of lifestyle, we encourage everyone, conventional diets and vegans alike, to eat more organic vegetables.
If you believe in eating plant based diets and meals, as well as sharing this article, you can spread the ideas and practice through bringing plant based dishes to potlucks and sharing recipes online. Erthi.com posts them frequently! However, this doesn't mean we have to constantly point out the negative aspects of others diet choices, usually the best approach to initiating change is through positive influence.
To summarize the evidence debunking this myth: After William Rose completed research in 1952 that determined the human requirements for nutrition includes 8 essential amino acids, plant protein was labeled incomplete by a works of an author, Frances Moore Lappe, in 1971 titled "Diet for a Small Planet." In this works Lappe states that combinations of plant based foods need to be made to ensure the proper amino acid intake is completed daily in our diets. She later discovered the error of her statement in her book "Diet for a Small Planet" and published a revised edition in 1981 stating the following:
“In 1971 I stressed protein complementarity because I assumed that the only way to get enough protein ... was to create a protein as usable by the body as animal protein. In combating the myth that meat is the only way to get high-quality protein, I reinforced another myth. I gave the impression that in order to get enough protein without meat, considerable care was needed in choosing foods. Actually, it is much easier than I thought.
"With three important exceptions, there is little danger of protein deficiency in a plant food diet. The exceptions are diets very heavily dependent on [1] fruit or on [2] some tubers, such as sweet potatoes or cassava, or on [3] junk food (refined flours, sugars, and fat). Fortunately, relatively few people in the world try to survive on diets in which these foods are virtually the sole source of calories. In all other diets, if people are getting enough calories, they are virtually certain of getting enough protein.”
Today several health professionals and institutions still teach the incomplete amino acid myth in plant based diets. The truth is, anyone eating enough calories in the day as well as eating whole plant foods and not processed foods is getting enough protein. No need to worry!
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