The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Thomas M. Campbell Read Free Book Online Page B

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     AHouse of Proteins
My ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL CAREER in biomedical research has centered on
protein. Like an invisible leash, protein tethered me wherever I went,
from the basic research laboratory to the practical programs of feeding
malnourished children in the Philippines to the government board-
rooms where our national health policy was being formulated. Protein,
often regarded with unsurpassed awe, is the common thread tying to-
g e t h e r past and present knowledge about nutrition.
    The story of protein is part science, part culture and a good dose of
mythology. I am reminded of the words of Goethe, first brought to my
attention by my friend Howard Lyman, a prominent lecturer, author
and former cattle rancher: "We are best at hiding those things which
are in plain sight." Nothing has been so well hidden as the untold story
of protein. The dogma surrounding protein censures, reproaches and
guides, directly or indirectly, almost every thought we have in biomedi-
cal research.
    Ever since the discovery of this nitrogen-containing chemical in 1839
by the Dutch chemist Gerhard Mulder, protein has loomed as the most
sacred of all nutrients. The word protein comes from the Greek word
proteios, which means "of prime importance."
    In the nineteenth century, protein was synonymous with meat, and
this connection has stayed with us for well over a hundred years. Many
people today still equate protein with animal-based food. If you were to
name the first food that comes to mind when I say protein, you might
say beef. If you did, you aren't alone.

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28 THE CHINA STUDY

     Confusion reigns on many of the most basic questions about protein:
     What are good sources of protein?
     •
     • How much protein should one consume?
     • Is plant protein as good as animal protein?
     • Is it necessary to combine certain plant foods in a meal to get com-
     plete proteins?
     Is it advisable to take protein powders or amino acid supplements,
     •
     especially for someone who does vigorous exercise or plays sport?
     Should one take protein supplements to build muscle?
     •
     • Some protein is considered high quality, some low quality; what
     does this mean?
     • Where do vegetarians get protein?
     Can vegetarian children grow properly without animal protein?
     •
    Fundamental to many of these common questions and concerns is
the belief that meat is protein and protein is meat. This belief comes
from the fact that the "soul" of animal-based foods is protein. In many
meat and dairy products, we can selectively remove the fat but we are
still left with recognizable meat and dairy products. We do this all the
time, with lean cuts of meat and skim milk. But if we selectively remove
the protein from animal-based foods, we are left with nothing like the
original. A non-protein steak, for example, would be a puddle of water,
fat and a small amount of vitamins and minerals. Who would eat that?
In brief, for a food to be recognized as an animal-based food, it must
have protein. Protein is the core element of animal-based foods.
Early scientists like Carl Voit (1831-1908), a prominent German
scientist, were staunch champions of protein. Voit found that "man"
needed only 48.5 grams per day, but nonetheless he recommended a
whopping 118 grams per day because of the cultural bias of the time.
Protein equaled meat, and everyone aspired to have meat on his or her
table, just as we aspire to have bigger houses and faster cars. Voit figured
you can't get too much of a good thing.
Voit went on to mentor several well-known nutrition researchers of
the early 1900s, including Max Rubner (1854-1932) and WOo Atwater
(1844-1907). Both students closely followed the advice of their teacher.
Rubner stated that protein intake, meaning meat, was a symbol of civi-
lization itself: "a large protein