Amino Acid Content of Vegetarian Foods/ Vitamin B12

[Guest guest]

Amino Acid Content of Vegetarian Foods

JoAnn Guest

Sep 21, 2006 20:35

---

 

The Egg Protein Index

By Gary Null, Ph.D., Hillard Fitzkee, Steven Null and Martin

Feldman, MD.

 

http://gnhealth.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1116

 

Note: The information on this website is not a substitute for

diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed professional.

Introduction

Overview

=====================================================================

Americans' desire to have quality and quantity protein

sources is paramount in their food selection process. However, we

seem

to have gone overboard in our enthusiasm for protein in that we're

consuming far more animal protein than what is healthful.

 

 

In point of fact, there have been more than 250 scientific studies

published in recent years showing that our propensity toward: (1) a

high percentage of animal fats in our diets; (2) a high proportion

of

total calories consumed from saturated animal fats--more than 40%;

and

(3) excess amounts of protein from animal sources, are all

contributing

to a heightened risk of heart disease, cancer, and other

degenerative

conditions.

 

On the other hand, numerous studies (see bibliography) confirm that

a

properly balanced vegetarian program provides more than adequate

amounts

of protein, while such a regimen's lower fat content reduces the

risk of

various diseases.

The findings of these studies have not been widely implemented,

though,

partly because of some outdated assumptions that are, unfortunately,

still extant.

 

The Old Thinking on Protein

 

For a long time, the prevailing assumption about

protein,

put forth in virtually all major health and nutrition texts, was

that

only proteins from animal sources were complete, i.e., contained all

of

the essential amino acids. Non animal foods were hardly considered

protein sources at all. They were called incomplete and were to be

used

only adjunctively. So while grains, legumes, nuts and seeds,

vegetables, tubers, and fruits were acknowledged as important

bearers of

vitamins, minerals, and fiber, their significant protein

contributions

were downplayed or ignored.

 

The New Thinking

 

If you look at the dietary habits and the morbidity and

mortality statistics of other cultures, you can see that the old

protein

assumptions are at least partially incorrect.

 

For instance, people in Japan and China today, and for some time,

have

lived longer and healthier lives than the average American, and this

is

while they've been without benefit of all our medical advances and

technology.

 

A careful examination of these cultures' diets, in comparison to

ours,

suggests that they consume a reverse ratio of animal - to plant -

source

protein.

 

That is, while 80% of the average American's protein intake comes

from

animal sources, the Japanese and Chinese figure is 20%. This is true

for many other cultures of the world as well, in which, provided

that

individuals are getting adequate calories and a wide enough

selection

from different food groups, vegetarian diets are providing people

with

adequate protein.

 

What's more, these people are not suffering from the same level of

degenerative diseases -- diseases in part attributable to diet --

that

we do.

 

The good news is that today, many Americans are finally

coming around to acknowledge the true protein picture. For instance,

the newest thinking on protein is exemplified in a position

statement on

vegetarian diets of the American Dietetic Association.

 

This group's journal, in its November 1993 issue, reported that the

organization feels that " vegetarian diets are healthful and

nutritionally adequate when appropriately planned. "

 

More important, the report goes on to explain some of the

health-promoting aspects of vegetarianism, as well as of lowered

protein

consumption.

 

And it states that " plant sources of protein alone can provide

adequate

amounts of the essential and nonessential amino acids, assuming that

dietary protein sources from plants are reasonably varied and that

caloric intake is sufficient to meet energy needs. "

 

Furthermore, the ADA now holds that conscious combining

of

foods within a given meal -- the old complementary protein dictum --

is

unnecessary.

 

" Additionally, " says the ADA, " soy protein has been shown to be

nutritionally equivalent in protein value to proteins of animal

origin

and, thus, can serve as the sole source of protein intake if desired.

 

Vegetarianism's Virtues

 

With the American Dietetic Association getting on the

vegetarian bandwagon, it almost seems as if a real paradigm shift

toward

an acceptance of vegetarianism is at hand in the U.S. This would be

a

welcome development, considering all the benefits of vegetarianism.

 

To summarize these, there are, first, the health

benefits.

As the ADA puts it in its report, " A considerable body of scientific

data suggests positive relationships between vegetarian diets and

risk

reduction for several chronic degenerative diseases and conditions,

including obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes

mellitus, and some types of cancer. "

 

Indeed, meat is one of the major contributing factors in colon and

prostate cancer.

 

Research has shown that in those cultures eating a high-fiber diet

rich

in fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, and low in animal

products,

colon and prostate cancer are rare.

 

In countries such as ours, though, where a lot of fatty, fiberless

foods, often of animal origin, are eaten, these cancers are common.

 

Equally important is the heart disease issue. Since the

main source of cholesterol in the American diet is the saturated

fats

contained in meat and other animal products, converting one's eating

habits from a diet centered on these products to one that is mainly

vegetarian may be an important

 

step in preventing coronary and artery disease.

 

There is also the matter of the contaminants found in

animal

foods. Antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, and fungicides are

administered to livestock or included in their food, and all of

these

end up being consumed by meat and dairy eaters.

Even though the antibiotics are present in sub therapeutic dosages,

they can still present serious health risks for the consumer.

 

For one, bacteria can adapt to a specific antibiotic and develop

into

" super germs " as they grow resistant to it.

 

Another possible problem is that an individual may be allergic to a

particular antibiotic and not know it, or not know that he or she is

receiving a continued dosage of it via his food supply.

 

Also. antibiotics kill off not only harmful bacteria but " friendly "

bacteria as well, thus destroying the natural bacterial balance of

power

within our digestive systems.

 

Economically, vegetarianism is a wise dietary choice

because, ounce for ounce, plant foods cost less than meat. And on

the

global economic scale, vegetarianism makes sense too, as an aid in

the

conservation of natural resources. The breeding and slaughter of

animals, as well as the subsequent processing of meat, use an

inordinate

amount of land, water, energy, and raw materials.

 

Consider, for instance, that cows consume approximately 16 pounds of

grain to yield just one pound of meat. That's grain that could go to

feed people. With this sort of equation in mind, many people today

are

opting for vegetarianism as a personal contribution to the

preservation

of our ecosystem.

 

Taste considerations may seem like a potential problem

in

going vegetarian. But for many, the taste for meat is an acquired

one;

it's not due to a natural craving for protein, and it disappears

when

meat is replaced with a variety of plant-derived foods. This is

especially true when one learns the easy art of creative vegetarian

cooking with herbs.

 

A more important consideration for many people who

choose

vegetarianism is their respect for all living creatures, with no

cutoff

drawn after their own species in these people's desire to prevent

cruelty.

 

Creation of the Egg Protein Index

 

It was with all these factors as motivating forces that

we

created the Egg Protein Index (EPI). What this project involved was

a

protein analysis of the major foods, both animal and plant.

 

We analyzed the exact amino acid structure, percentages, and quality

of

each, and came up with some highly interesting results. In fact, we

believe that our findings should offer new insight, and hence

direction,

for dietitians, nutritionists, physicians, and public health

educators.

 

What we found was that all non animal foods,

particularly

grains and legumes, contain all eight essential amino acids. We

found

that vegetables, sea vegetables, and fruits also contain the

essential

amino acids, but in varying qualities and percentages.

 

As a result of these findings, we have been able to show how, by

combining a variety of plant foods in normal serving sizes, people

can

obtain all of the amino acids -- and hence protein -- that they

need,

without the use of any animal sources whatsoever.

 

Function of the EPI

 

Once we came to the knowledge that all 8 essential amino

acids are present in non animal food, it became necessary to employ

an

unbiased rating system that would allow us to compare all foods.

 

What we mean by unbiased is that the criteria for deciding that one

food was better than another was not based on subjective factors

such as

taste or flavor.

Instead the obvious criteria upon which the EPI was founded is the

essential amino acid composition of the food in question.

 

Although this new rating system would assign a unique

number

to each food or food group reflecting it?s quality, the real

function of

the EPI is to use these assigned numbers for comparative purposes.

 

For example let?s say that carrots was assigned a 6 rating and black

beans was assigned a 5. Since the lower the number the higher the

quality (which will be explained shortly) we can say that black

beans

are better than carrots.

 

Now lets see just how a single number, viz. the EPI, can

adequately portray the essential amino acid composition of a food.

 

The real secret to the EPI that allows us to use it in comparing

foods

is that the EPI itself reflects a comparison. You see the number

assigned by this rating system tells us how the food itself compares

to

a standard.

 

The standard that we have decided to use is the egg, hence the Egg

Protein Index. If the essential protein structure of a food were to

match exactly that of the Egg then the EPI would be zero. The poorer

the match the higher the number.

 

Thus in our example since black beans compare closer or more

favorably

(EPI = 5) to the Egg than carrots (EPI = 6) this enables us

therefore to

say that black beans are better than carrots.

 

Assumptions in Defining the EPI

 

As with any rating system there are certain inherent

rules

or assumptions. These assumptions define what data is used and how

it

is used. Since a mathematical model will be the representation of

these

assumptions and the mechanism whereby we implement the EPI

assumptions

we will now explain, step by step, each assumption and show how it

is

incorporated into our mathematical model.

 

You will recall that we previously stated that the EPI

itself was a comparison of a food?s essential protein to that of the

Egg?s essential protein.

 

In statistics when we compare real life data to that of a hypothesis

or

model, we perform what is called a ?regression analysis?. The common

technique used to perform the regression analysis is known as the

average mean squared error1,2 or least squares method.

 

In this method we evaluate, point by point, how close the actual

data

are to the model or predicted values. For our application we

evaluate

(by differences/ residuals) the protein content for each of the

eight

essential amino acids.

 

Our equation then becomes

 

where FOODi is the protein content of the ith amino acid of the food

in

question or being evaluated and EGGi is the protein content of the

ith

amino acid of the Egg.

 

Now that we have a framework let?s begin to apply our

assumptions.

 

(a) Compare ?like? amounts (unit of

measure)

of food.

 

The amount of essential amino acid that we will use in

our

analysis for each food is listed in Table 1 (MASTER LISTING). For

the

?Essential Amino Acids? portion the values are listed in mg per Gm

of

N2. The ?Total Protein? is per unit of measure (the unit of measure

varies by food type, viz. 3 oz., 1 cup, etc.). This assumption, i.e.

(a) above, precisely defines FOODi & EGGi used in equation (1)

above.

 

Note that the column titled ?% Essential? shows what portion of the

(unit of measure) protein used for comparison, that is essential

protein. Hence for the egg, of the 31.3 grams of protein in a one

cup

serving, only 48.8% or 14 grams are essential protein.

 

One extreme food in this category is AMARANTH, in which 90.7% of the

protein is essential or for all practical purposes we could say all

it's

protein is essential.

 

whereas, at the other extreme, PAPAYA and SPIRULINA contain only 14%

essential protein or just 1/7 of the total protein, available in

these

two foods, is essential protein.

 

Continuing with our assumptions

 

(b) Each essential amino acid is of equal

importance.

 

To implement this assumption we simply drop (set each wi

equal to 1) the weighting factors. We then have

 

To further refine our formula two subtle

transformations

will now be made. Instead of calculating differences based on actual

amounts of amino acids we will use percentage values. This allows us

to

hold to the importance of a preferred proportion (viz. that of the

Egg

protein) and additionally we will take the logs of these percentages

in

order to minimize extreme variances3. Our transformed formula looks

like this

 

where Pi = the percentage content of the ith-amino acid of the food

or

foods to be rated, and Ei = the percentage content of the ith egg

amino

acid. One final massage yields

 

rather than compute the average, the final value is multiplied by

1000

for convenience of comparisons.

 

Results

 

To summarize then, we will say that a food (or

combination

of foods) is of the " highest " quality if each of its essential amino

acids is present in the same percentage contribution as that of the

egg.

Again, we are only analyzing the part of each food that is essential

or

complete protein.

 

If a food were to be " identical " in quality to our

ideal, we

would say that-it has a zero EPI. Therefore the computed EPI shows

the

closeness of match, in quality, to our ideal in that the smaller the

EPI, the closer that food is in quality to our ideal or the " better "

the

food!

 

In comparing rated foods by EPI'S, comparisons should be

made with like or same combinations. Compare pine nuts and cowpeas

with

beets and sweet potatoes, i.e. two foods are compared with a

combination

of two other foods.

 

Similarly, a three food combination would be compared with another

three food combination, not a two food combination. To compare just

broccoli with say rice, beans, and onions would be difficult to

interpret, since in general, the more foods used in combination, the

lower the EPI.

 

To reemphasize, the EPI is not a rating system to tell

how

much essential protein is present. It is a system to match, in

proportion to each of 8 essential amino acids, one food or group of

foods to an ideal food.

 

An example of this important distinction was revealed in the

original

analysis. Two food groupings received equivalent EPI rating values,

as

illustrated in Table 2. (listed with total protein and essential

protein). One of the food groupings had almost twice as much

essential

protein as the other combination. The reason that they matched as

equal, was due to the way in which each of the combined 8 amino

acids

compared, in proportion, to that of our ideal food.

 

APPLICATION

 

It should be clear by now that the EPI is sensitive to

both

the amount of each food in a grouping and the other foods with which

it

is combined in that grouping. Without attempting to enumerate all

potential applications, it should be noted that some of these areas

are

not just limited to the purest.

 

For societies and cultures where food selections are

curtailed, appropriate factoring of current food combinations will

improve the quality of the diet. Additionally, introduction of

supplemental foods or food additives would also improve quality.

These

kinds of applications will no doubt increase as more knowledge is

accumulated in medicine and other fields of scientific investigation

dealing with health in diet.

 

Applying the EPI to RICE

 

The EGG PROTEIN INDEX (EPI) is a rating system that

ascribes

a single number to either a single food or a combination of foods,

such

that we can either compare single foods or combinations of foods in

regard to their qualitative value. To generalize, the EPI will allow

us

to determine which foods are better and by how much.

 

Rice computes an EPI of 31.14. This places it in the

grouping of animal proteins such as veal cuts, beef cuts or chicken.

Good, but still a distance from foods like whole milk (EPI = 16.81).

Since the proportion of essential amino acids is a key criteria, a

" balancing " portion of selected amino acids can be added to make

rice

identical to the egg. Specifically 448 milligrams of 7 of the 8

essential amino acids would be needed per 100 grams of rice. This

precision is not necessary however to obtain desirable results.

 

Only 180 milligrams of 4 of the essential amino acids could improve

rice's EPI from 31.14 to 4.52. Not identical to the egg but almost 4

times better than whole milk.

 

Thoughtful attention must be given to the following,

When we

improve the quality of RICE, as stated above, we are improving the

essential protein portion. We are not producing more protein in the

100

grams of RICE nor are we making all of the Rice's protein complete.

Nevertheless the RICE now has a higher nutritional value.

 

White Rice Formula

(to be added to every 100 grams of rice)

 

Tryptophan

Threonine

Isoleucine

Leucine

Lysine

Methionine

Phenylalanine

Valine

32 mg

57 mg

109 mg

none

139 mg

76 mg

38 mg

17 mg

 

 

 

 

REFERENCES

 

1. Hamming, Richard W., Numerical Methods for Scientists and

Engineers, 2nd Ed, p. 429, McGrall-Hill Book Company, N.Y., 1973

2. Crow, Edwin L.; Davis, Frances A.; Maxfield, MargaretW.,

Manual,

p. 183, Dover Publications Inc., N.Y., 1973

3. Dixon, Wilfred J.; Massey, Frank J. Jr., Introduction to

Statistical Analysis, 3rd Ed., p. 324, McGrall-Hill Book Company,

N.Y.,

1951

 

 

© 1996-2006 Gary Null & Associates, Inc. (GNA). .

Some of the articles and materials that appear herein are reproduced

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Administration.

 

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The information on this website is presented for educational

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only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis,

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---

Vitamin B12 in the Vegan Diet

 

--

The requirement for vitamin B12 is very low. Neither

plants nor animals make vitamin B12. Bacteria are responsible for

producing vitamin B12.

 

Animals get their vitamin B12 from eating foods contaminated with

vitamin B12 and then the animal becomes a source of vitamin B12.

 

 

We store between 2 and 5 micrograms of vitamin B12 and only excrete

a very small fraction of this each day.

 

Bacteria in the large intestine of humans produce vitamin B12.

--

 

References

1. Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board: Dietary

Reference

Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Folate,

Vitamin

B-12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC:

National

Academy press, 1998.

 

2. Lesaffre Yeast Corporation. Vegetarian Support Formula.

http://www.lesaffreyeastcorp.com/nutritional/consumer/veg.html.

Accessed

October 19, 2005.

 

3. Nature's Path. Cold Cereals.

http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold_cereals. Accessed October

19,

2005.

 

4. Messina V, Melina V, Mangels AR. A new food guide for North

American

vegetarians. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:771-5.

 

5. Armstrong BK. Absorption of vitamin B12 from the human colon. Am

J

clin nutr 1968; 21:298-9.

 

6. Callender ST, Spray GH. Latent pernicious anemia. Br J Haematol

1962;8:230-240.

 

7. Herbert V. Vitamin B12: Plant sources, requirements, and assay.

Am j

clin nutr 1988;48:852-858.

 

8. van den Berg H, Dagnelie PC, van Staveren WA. Vitamin B12 and

seaweed. Lancet 1988;1:242-3.

 

9. Mozafar A. Enrichment of some B-vitamin in plants with

application of

organic fertilizers. Plant and Soil 1994;167:305-11.

 

10. Mozafar A. Is there vitamin B12 in plants or not? A plant

nutritionist's view. Vegetarian Nutrition: An International Journal

1997;1/2:50-52.

---

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets

[Guest guest]

What about the bioavailability of essential aminos

from vegetarian sources? Moreover, no single

vegetarial source contains all the essential aminos.

By contrast, animal source contains all the essential

aminos in one place.

True we should not overdo protein but this holds true

for vegetarian protein. In no meal should we go beyong

30 gms, ideally staying at 20 gms of mixed vege and

nonvege protein. Total not more than 90 gms per day.

More than that and the body becomes acidic to

neutralize which the body tries to become alkaline by

leaching out calcium from bones. True.

Ratan.

 

--- JoAnn Guest <angelprincessjo wrote:

 

> Amino Acid Content of Vegetarian Foods

> JoAnn Guest

> Sep 21, 2006 20:35

>

---

>

> The Egg Protein Index

> By Gary Null, Ph.D., Hillard Fitzkee, Steven Null

> and Martin

> Feldman, MD.

>

>

http://gnhealth.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=1116

>

> Note: The information on this website is not a

> substitute for

> diagnosis and treatment by a qualified, licensed

> professional.

> Introduction

> Overview

>

=====================================================================

> Americans' desire to have quality and

> quantity protein

> sources is paramount in their food selection

> process. However, we

> seem

> to have gone overboard in our enthusiasm for protein

> in that we're

> consuming far more animal protein than what is

> healthful.

>

>

> In point of fact, there have been more than 250

> scientific studies

> published in recent years showing that our

> propensity toward: (1) a

> high percentage of animal fats in our diets; (2) a

> high proportion

> of

> total calories consumed from saturated animal

> fats--more than 40%;

> and

> (3) excess amounts of protein from animal sources,

> are all

> contributing

> to a heightened risk of heart disease, cancer, and

> other

> degenerative

> conditions.

>

> On the other hand, numerous studies (see

> bibliography) confirm that

> a

> properly balanced vegetarian program provides more

> than adequate

> amounts

> of protein, while such a regimen's lower fat content

> reduces the

> risk of

> various diseases.

> The findings of these studies have not been widely

> implemented,

> though,

> partly because of some outdated assumptions that

> are, unfortunately,

> still extant.

>

[Guest guest]

We can neutralize the tendency for excess flesh and eggs protein to

be acidifying to the body by using undenatured whey, which is

actually slightly alkalizing, and if we do use excess flesh and eggs,

by supplying calcium. Magnesium and potassium are also useful for

neutralizing acidity.

 

I agree that bioavailability counts in this argument; body builders

often use 120 grams or so of whey powder daily to build mass more

quickly, and body builders who switched to soy protein from whey

and/or eggs lost muscle mass.

 

I also agree that veggies do not contain enough essential amino

acids; traces hardly count, although this theoretical argument is

often used by vegetarians, who are mainly emaciated and deficient.

 

 

Duncan Crow

 

, psych doc

<psych_58 wrote:

>

> What about the bioavailability of essential aminos

> from vegetarian sources? Moreover, no single

> vegetarial source contains all the essential aminos.

> By contrast, animal source contains all the essential

> aminos in one place.

[Guest guest]

, psych doc

<psych_58 wrote:

>

> What about the bioavailability of essential aminos

> from vegetarian sources? Moreover, no single

> vegetarial source contains all the essential aminos.

 

Hi Ratan!

 

With all due respect, the preceding statement is a total fabricated

myth!!

Whole grains Quinoa, Millett and Bulgur contain all of the essential

amino acids which are present in the animal proteins! This includes

one of the important aminos, lysine, as well!

 

The foods we consume have 20 different amino acids.We can make 11 of

them in our body.

These are called non-essential amino-acids. The other 9 are called

essential amino-acids (E.A.A.) and these we must derive from our

daily diet.

All of the plant proteins including organic eggs, cooked dried

beans, raw nuts and organic whole grains contain all of the E.A.A.

 

Protein quality depends on how well i.e. how " easily " a particular

protein is digested and " broken down " into its individual amino-

acids.

Plant proteins are about 85% digestible and those based on animal

proteins are about 95% digestible and that is a small difference.

 

Regards,

JoAnn