“Most of the things that you have heard about protein are just wrong.”
- Jonathan Wolf
Plant Protein and Strength Podcast, 51.24, 2024
Animal agriculture is no longer sustainable. It is leading to worsening climate change and global warming. Worse, it is a drain on the planet's water resources. Therefore, compassionately, people are increasingly moving to a plant-based diet. However, there are still some myths surrounding the plant-based diet, the major one being that plants are not a source of protein. Imagine two people A and B. Let us assume both have the same height and weight and muscle mass and profession. In addition, both do the same workouts and consume the same amount of protein. But A gets proteins from plants and B gets it from animals. Who is healthier? When we eat proteins, they are digested to individual components called amino acids, which are the building blocks of the body. These amino acids reach the blood and it does not matter whether a particular amino acid was sourced from a plant or an animal. Hence both A and B are taking enough protein but the predominantly plant-sourced life prevents chronic disease and provides better health, as we argue.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are 20 amino acids and of them 9 are essential, because they have to be eaten and the body cannot make them. It is a myth that we cannot get all essential amino acid from plants, as argued by nutritionist Simon Hill. Eating a plant-based diet with enough diversity can give you all essential amino acids, along with health benefits. And what are those health benefits?
In addition to vitamins and minerals and others, plants are a source of polyphenols and fibers. Both have the potential to improve health. However, people on a plant-based diet should take vitamin B12 supplements. Particularly, if they have Diabetes, a commonly used anti-diabetic medicine, metformin, can further increase risk of B12 deficiency. Further, a plant- based diet is good for our gut bacteria too.
Animal protein-based carnivore diets, especially red and processed ones can predispose to Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular illness, and probably cancer. Plant based protein diet helps to build strength, improve health-span and prevent chronic disease.
Studies have indicated that a plant-based diet can provide proteins and also give our planet more power!
Plant based living represents a philosophy and way of living which seeks to prevent exploitation and cruelty to animals and the environment. It also actively promotes compassion towards all living beings for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment.
A University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems, 2020 showed that swapping half of all animal-based foods for plant- based alternatives by 2030 could reduce emissions equivalent to removing 47.5 million cars from the road. Plant based diets have the greatest potential for
reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 35 to 50 per cent. Changing to a
plant-based diet could reduce global agricultural emissions by 84 to 86 per cent. The reduction in air pollution would prevent approximately 236,000 premature deaths per year.
Worldwide, meat and dairy production uses 83 percent of farmland but provides only 18 per cent of calories and 37 per cent of protein. If animal agriculture were phased out over the span of 15 years, greenhouse gas emissions could stabilize for 30 years and offset 68 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions through the remainder of this century. The resulting greenhouse gas reductions would provide half of those necessary to limit global warming to 2°C.
Hence in this article of Diabetes Health, we bring you the benefits of plant-based living. We argue for the judicious use of protein shakes and discuss cooking techniques too, for the latter is very important for digestion of plant-based proteins.
So, that you are inspired to plant a seed, not just in your home kitchen but also as a thought in your mind. And thus take at least a small step towards a plant-based diet and health!
Dr Unnikrishnan AG
Editor