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They are still not complete proteins like every animal protein is, so you need to figure out combinations that can theoretically make a complete protein. And th
by jseban 5y ago
They are still not complete proteins like every animal protein is, so you need to figure out combinations that can theoretically make a complete protein. And the protein content is still going to be much lower than meat. Protein is already the hardest to get enough of, it's always easy to eat carbs and fat, which people already do too much. And if something is hard to digest, common sense says that it's probably not utilised as well by the body either.
In practice it really makes a big different, to eat 100 grams of chicken for dinner, compared to 200 grams of lentils. Most people that eat plant based compensate with eating more fat to get the satiety per gram of food higher, which leads to an unhealthy diet.
It would be much simpler if plants had complete protein in the same amount as animal protein sources, but it's way off.
- throwawaycuriou 5y agoCould you elaborate on what makes a protein complete?
- jseban 5y agoIt contains all of the essential amino acids.
- yissp 5y agoLegumes do contain all of the essential amino acids, just not in the ideal ratio. Specifically, I believe they're low in methionine.
- Wildgoose 5y ago"Protein" is actually a large number of different amino acids, most of which our bodies can manufacture. Our bodies can't manufacture nine of those amino acids, we have to ingest them, and also in the appropriate amounts. Eggs have all 9 essential amino acids and also in almost exactly the proportions we need them in, making eggs a fantastic source of protein. In general, legumes and grains individually are not complete proteins, but are when the two are combined. Hence rice and lentil dahl, or baked beans on toast. The combination makes complete protein.
- danuker 5y ago> making eggs a fantastic source of protein Too bad they come in a package with cholesterol and choline. https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/eggs/ https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/eggs/ I'd rather eat beans and whole bread. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-protein-combining-myth/ https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-protein-combining-myth/
- danuker 5y agoHere is what this non-profit that reviews science has to say: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-protein-combining-myth/ https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-protein-combining-myth/
- phonypc 5y agoThis notion of incomplete proteins is outdated and not very useful, if not quite wrong. It's really hard to eat a diet so restrictive that you end up deficient in the way the theory would predict. Further, there are actually "complete" vegetarian protein sources. Namely soy beans.