Plant vs. Animal Proteins

Simply swapping 3% of calories from various animal protein sources with plant protein was associated with 10% decreased overall mortality. And you get even twice that benefit if you get rid of eggs, too. That's not a surprise, since egg consumption is associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Surprising that there's so much fuss about protein in this country when less than 3% of adults don't make the cut, presumably folks on extreme calorie-restricted diets who just aren't eating enough food period. But 97% of Americans get enough protein.

Do vegetarians get enough protein? The average requirement is 42 grams of protein a day. Non-vegetarians get way more than they need, and so does everyone else. On average, vegetarians and vegans get 70% more protein than they need everyday.

People have no idea what's in their food. More than half of Americans think steak is a significant fiber source. By definition, fiber is only found in plants. There's no fiber in meat, dairy, or eggs and little or no fiber in junk food.

In 2016, a landmark study was published out of Harvard involving more than 100,000 people that found that replacing animal protein with plant protein was associated with lower risk of dying prematurely.

Isn't protein protein? No. Unlike animal protein, plant protein is generally low in branched-chain amino acids, for example, and decreased consumption of branched-chain amino acids improves metabolic health.

Plant protein intake is inversely associated with mortality, meaning those who eat more plant protein tend to live longer lives.

Although protein malnutrition is still prevalent in many areas of the world, it is exceedingly rare in the industrialized world where the most formidable public health threat is not something like kwashiorkor, a protein calorie malnutrition, but from chronic diseases.

Less than 3% of American get even the recommended minimum adequate intake of fiber.