sorry the complete article it was way to long to cut and paste you can see it here

[www.drmcdougall.com]


Plants--the Original Sources of Protein and Amino Acids

Proteins are made from chains of 20 different amino acids that connect together in varying sequences—similar to how all the words in a dictionary are made from the same 26 letters. Plants (and microorganisms) can synthesize all of the individual amino acids that are used to build proteins, but animals cannot. There are 8 amino acids that people cannot make and thus, these must be obtained from our diets—they are referred to as “essential.”

After we eat our foods, stomach acids and intestinal enzymes digest the proteins into individual amino acids. These components are then absorbed through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream. After entering the body’s cells, these amino acids are reassembled into proteins. Proteins function as structural materials which build the scaffoldings that maintain cell shapes, enzymes which catalyze biochemical reactions, and hormones which signal messages between cells—to name only a few of their vital roles.

Since plants are made up of structurally sound cells with enzymes and hormones, they are by nature rich sources of proteins. In fact, so rich are plants that they can meet the protein needs of the earth’s largest animals: elephants, hippopotamuses, giraffes, and cows. You would be correct to deduce that the protein needs of relatively small humans can easily be met by plants.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2007 10:09PM by Jgunn.

The inclusion of cows in this sample of large plant-eaters may be unfortunate, as it is well-known they have four stomachs and use an involved cud-chewing, regurgitation procedure to get the most of their greens. Certainly a specialized digestive system quite unlike our own! Ah well, the other examples are good.

-Erin
Raw Done Light
dogma-free RAW
Gazpacho For The Soul

Speaking from a botanical point of view, the cells inside most greens (plants most often highest in proteins) are like boxes or treasure chests that have to be broken into by the animal's system. Either excessive chewing to release the treasures inside each cell, or a very strong digestive system, or both. Cows and other animals that chew the cud have one variant or another of a system that has "both".

This is a simple botanical fact, not a theory. That's why it's so hard for humans to digest grass or other greens. It's not unheard of but it's difficult. There is a little known psychological disorder around where the human takes on characteristics of an animal grazing on grass. Such cases have documented where the human actually survived years on a diet of nothing but green grass and water.

The major difference in grazing animals and humans is that the grazing animals tend to live to eat while humans generally have other activities in their lives that interrupts the constant feeding instinct .

[rawfoodtrip.blogspot.com]
[jugglingforjoy.com]

ya gotta meet juicin john an wheat grass yogi

Juicing is supposed to triturate the cells, releasing the nutrients.


I never have problems digesting raw greens except wheatgrass juice, which is too strong for me without diluting it. My son, however, never had problems digesting it straight.

Our raw chihuahua loves blended greens and comes running whenever she hears the blender. She digests it fine, too, judging from her @#$%&.

Great article. It says that men and women need 5% protein, and that with a wide safety margin (I wouldn't be surprised if this margin is 100% or more).

thanks Bryan it offered alot of things that i can use when trying to answer the dreaded question that ive been getting the last oh...half decade or more lol


well where do you get your protein from? *insert eyeroll here* lol

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

Thanks so much for directing us to this article. I've bookmarked it, as I'm sure it will come in handy for inquiring friends and family members.

xoxo,
Lita

[paintedrenderings.blogspot.com]