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How much protein a human being really needs
? What are his minimum and optimum requirements ? Are
proteins of vegetarian origin not as good as those of
animal origin? What is the solution to the world protein
shortage - if there is a shortage ? These are but a few
of the scores of questions that both the nutritionist and
the intelligent layman are asking themselves these days.
At the outset, let it be understood that the minimum
daily requirement of protein is not one gram per each
kilogram of body-weight, as text-books have all along
maintained, but only 1/2 gram per kilogram body-weight. A
man weighing 70 kg. does not require a minimum of 70 gram
protein, but only 35 grams. This is the finding of
experts. And they say it is alright to have these
proteins from vegetarian sources exclusively. The
very scientific book ‘Present Knowledge in
Nutrition ‘ published by The Nutrition
Foundation Inc., U.S.A. corroborates the FAO. It records
at one place : "The optimum quantity as well as
quality and kind of protein to be provided to man has not
been established .... (but according to the experiemental
evidence so far) 30 to 40 gms. of protein was the daily
requirement of the normal subjects. "
The above recommendations accord well with the verdicts
of diet reformers of last century and this. For example,
Otto Carque wrote five decades ago : "If we properly
balance our foods, we can safely reduce the amount of
protein required daily to 1 1/2 ozes. ( appx.42 grams)
"1 Dr. Bircher -Benner also pointed
out in his monumental work ‘ Food Energy’ that
whereas we are supposed to take 16% of our calories as
protein, mother’s milk provides the quickly growing
infant with 7.3% protein only ; obviously then, the
actual needs of adults must be below 7.3%, 2
In any case, the conclusion we reach is that the
emphasis on high-protein foods is misplaced. We need much
less protein than what we are lead to believe. This is
especially true of sedentary brain-workers. Conclusions
based on scientific investigations and reported by Dr.
Ralph Bircher two years ago 3 specifically state that the
nervous system and brain need no protein at all in order
to function well. "The heaviest strain and most
exacting work of bran and nerves can be performed for
weeks on end without any protein intake. "
Next, let us dispel doubts regarding quality of protein.
Here, protagonists of non-vegetarian foods would have us
believe that vegetarian proteins are inferior. As this
notion is wide-spread in the allopathic school of
medicine, let us quote from one of the better-known
journals of allopathic medicine. 4 "Formerly, vegetarian
proteins were classified as second class and regarded as
inferior to first class proteins of animal origin ; but
this distinction has now been generally discarded.
Certainly, some vegetable proteins, if fed as SOLE source
of protein, are of relatively low value for promoting
growth ; but many field trials have shown that the
proteins provided by suitable mixtures of vegetable
origin enable children to grow no less well than children
provided with milk and other animal proteins. " It
is interesting to note here that the first group of
children were not given even milk, and yet they thrived.
According to scientists who consider as essential for
adults only eight amino-acids, the following are complete
vegetarian proteins ( in same class as meat and eggs ) :
milk, cheese, certain seeds and nuts, wheat germ, and
yeast.5
According to them, maize, potato, beans, peas, ragi
and wheat are only slightly incomplete, and judicious
combinations of these foods among themselves supplement
deficient amino-acids in one another. For example, pulses
lack methionine, but not lysine, whereas cereals are
notoriously poor in lysine ; therefore, when pulses are
combined with cereals, the combination provides all the
essential amino-acids. Similarly, cotton-seed protein
effectively supplements maize protein. Even fresh fruits,
although low and incomplete in proteins, "can
furnish significant quantities of essential amino-acids
to supplement a diet in which a single food, such as
rice, corn or wheat serves as the main source of protein.
6
Soya beans are well known not only as an excellent
source of protein (40%) but also as an excellent source
of complete protein. There are three thousand varieties
of soya beans; it has been possible to introduce at least
a few varieties in the Indian sub-continent. There are a
number of other vegetable proteins which can
quantitatively hold their own against non-vegetarian
proteins. For example, protein content percentage of
peanuts is 25 to 27; sesame seeds are 19% protein; wheat
germ is 25%, pumpkin seeds are 31%. On an estimate of
percentage of dry weight, peanut protein will be 65%;
similarly, all the seeds and nuts are found to be above
50% proteins by dry weight. 7 We really ought to go to seeds, or
be nutty, it would seem ! The conclusion , therefore, is
that there is no dirth of sources of abundant and quality
proteins in plant kingdom. The following figures
substantiate this statement; and they are the figures
given by the FAO of the United Nations. One acre of
cultivable land can produce only 26 lb. of protein in a
calf grazing on it. If we take it as 100 units, then the
acreage will produce :
72 lbs of protein when used for dairy farming = 270 units
215 lbs of protein when used for wheat crops = 813 units
360 lbs of protein when used for soya crops = 1363 units
419 lbs of protein when used for cabbage crops = 1587
units
770 lbs of protein when used for growing certain leafy
greens = 2917 units
What is said above regarding cabbage and other leafy
vegetables should prove interesting. We never think of
edible leaves as good sources of protein because their
protein percentage is generally 1 to 2 %. But leaves grow
in profusion, and if their water and cellulose can be
removed, the residue contains a good percentage of
protein. Fortunately, at least one scientist has done
research on the extraction of leaf protein. He is the
distinguished biochemist, N.W. Pirie of Rothamsted
Experimental station of U.K. His simple machines (
costing only about 2 to 5 thousand rupees each, if mass
produced ) can handle one ton of leaves per hour, and at
least 500 lbs. of protein of high digestibility
coefficient can be extracted from some of the 40 to 50
plants found suitable for the purpose. The leaf protein
is superior to seed proteins and equal or almost equal to
animal proteins. We have two Pirie macines working in
India; one at CFTRI, Mysore and other at Coimbatore. Why
can we not have more of Pirie’s machines in various
parts of India ? 8
The only other cheap and vast source of protein can
be unicellular organisms. The algae (microscopic one-cell
plants) have been selected to feed astronauts in long
inter-planetary flights, for they can grow on all kinds
of waste or effete matter. The algae protein is easy to
digest, is rich in lysine, and can be obtained without
utilizing land, or depending upon rains or sunshine.
Being vegetables, they cannot offend religious sentiments
of most of our countrymen. Grown in ponds, they can be
harvested every three days, and in a year, an acre of
water can yield 30 tons of food. 9 Experiments have been also dine
with bacteria that live on air and produce proteins.
Crude oil is used as base for them. Estimates are that,
if crude petroleum is used as base for micro-organism,
diversion of just one percent of the world’s crude
oil production can yield protein to feed 300 million
people.
A nutritionist attached to the FAO has submitted in his
thesis on "Solving the problem of protein
malnutrion " 10 that protein deficiencies of the world can
be remedied by one or more of these seven foods :(1) Fish flour; (2) Soya bean
products ; (3) Peanut flour; (4) Cotton- seed flour; (5)
Sesame flour ; (6) Sunflower seed flour; (7) Coconut
protein.
Of these seven, peanut flour is said to be in the most
advanced stage of production in UNICEF programme for
protein-rich foods. WE have already seen that peanut
protein is an ideal complement to wheat protein; besides
it is rich in vitamin B factors and phosphorous and iron.
There are moves to produce cottonseed flour in India.
This flour contains calcium and vitamins B. What is
interesting to note here is that six out of seven
foods on which nutrition authorities are depending to
solve the world problem of protein shortage are of
vegetable origin. It is also to be noted that meat does
not find any place in this nutrititionist’s
programme. Having put the problem of paucity of
protein in proper perspective, we come to the conclusion
that if there is a shortage of this vital food-
constituent in this country, it can be easily remedied by
proteins from vegetarian sources. There is no need to ram
down the throats of vege- tarians proteins derived from
blood from slughter houses, or silk pupa, or frog meat or
rat meat, etc., ad nauseam. God has given all the food
and all the nutrients a man needs for his best physical,
mental and spiritual growth ; and these nutrients can be
conveniently had without yelling for flesh and blood of
our docile and domesticated bretherenor defiling our
system with the gore of the helpless creatures which can
not avenge the inhumanity of man.
Paper read before
the 19thWorld Vegetarian Congress, 1967.
1. In an
average Indian diet, protein is obtained to the extent of
30 grams.
2. Dr. Barbara
Moore and others of her ilk are living proof that human
beings can live well and vigorously on a modium of
protein ; and that we are not nourished by only the food
we eat, but also by the air we breathe, the water we
drink, and maybe some unknown factors besides.
3. "The
British Vegetarian" Nov. Dec’65.
4. Editorial.
"The Lancet" Nov. 28th 1959.
5. Nutrition
Information Centre of London, Bulletin 24.
6. A G. Kin in
Jnl. of Am.Diet. Assn.35, 109, 1959.
7. J.I.
Rodale’s "Complete Book of Food and Nutrition
."
8. Mr. Pirie
laments " scientists have learnt not to expect quick
results from useful research." (Personal
correspondence, 4th Sept. 67). Mr. Pirie must be a very
patient person:you can say so after 25 years of real
research work, against opposition and apathy.
9. Compare one
ton yield of wheat per acre of fertile land.
10. Article
" Solving the problem of Protein Malnutrition "
by Mona Doss, Regional Nutrition Advisor of the FAO.
Journal "Health for All", Sept. 1961.
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