Date: 16 Jul 94 10:41:49 GMT
From: taltar@beaufort.sfu.ca (Ted Altar)
Subject: Vegans and Protein
Newsgroups: rec.food.veg
Organization: Simon Fraser University
Lines: 131

VEGANS AND PROTEIN

The following selection comes from what is still the single
best survey of the relevant research regarding nutrition for
vegans, VEGAN NUTRITION (1987) by Gill Langley (PhD).

     STUDIES OF VEGANS

     Of course, a vegan diet does not comprise a single
     plant source of protein, but rather a well-balanced
     mixture of foods, so that vegans need not force
     themselves to consume 450g rice each day!  What levels
     of protein intake have been measured in studies of
     vegans, and how do these compare with those found in
     vegetarians and omnivores?  There have now been several
     such surveys, extending back to 1954.  In 1967 Ellis
     and Mumford (13) reviewed several early studies and
     found that vegans took 10-11% of their daily energy
     intake in the form of protein, compared with 11-12% in
     the case of vegetarians.  In 1966 Hardinge et al. (4)
     calculated that vegan men and women achieved their
     recommended daily allowances of all essential amino
     acids and that the pattern of their amino acid intake
     quite closely resembled that of the protein in human
     milk, while that of vegetarians and omnivores (with
     generous intakes of animal proteins) was more similar
     to the amino acid pattern of cow's milk.

     In 1981, Abdulla and co-workers (15) used the duplicate
     portion sampling technique to measure, among other
     nutrients, protein intakes in six healthy Swedish
     middle-aged vegans whose diet was deliberately somewhat
     restricted.  Protein intake was 10% of total energy,
     compared with 12% for Swedish omnivores of similar age.
     ALTHOUGH ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN THIS VEGAN COMMUNITY WAS
     LOW, THEIR INTAKE OF ALL ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS WAS, AT
     THE MINIMUM, ALMOST *DOUBLE* THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
     US NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, AND MORE THAN DOUBLE
     THE WHO RECOMMENDATIONS.  THIS WAS DESPITE THE FACT
     THAT THESE SUBJECTS DELIBERATELY SUPPRESSED THEIR
     PROTEIN INTAKE IN THE BELIEF THAT TOO MUCH PROTEIN IS
     DELETERIOUS TO HEALTH.

     The protein intake of 22 British vegans was compared
     with age- and sex-matched omnivores and the mean values
     found to be slightly lower (16).  Lockie and colleagues
     (17) found from their study of male and female vegans,
     vegetarians and omnivores that the mean protein intake
     of the 10 vegans was somewhat lower than that of
     omnivores and vegetarians, and the same was true of a
     survey published in 1987 (18) comparing 11 vegans with
     11 omnivores.  A dietary analysis reported in 1986 (19)
     similarly showed that a sample of 18 vegans had protein
     intakes lower than those of omnivores.  Interestingly,
     THIS STUDY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT ADULTS ARE ABLE TO
     SYNTHESIZE THE AMINO ACID TAURINE FROM OTHER AMINO
     ACIDS IN THE DIET, SINCE THE LEVEL OF TAURINE IN THE
     PLASMA AND BREAST MILK OF VEGAN SUBJECTS WAS ADEQUATE -
     - EVEN THOUGH TAURINE IS NOT PRESENT IN PLANT FOODS.

     A high-protein diet can adversely affect calcium
     balance in the body, so that the less excessive intake
     in a vegan diet facilitates the absorption of calcium -
     - a significant factor in preventing osteoporosis,
     which may be less prevalent in vegans and vegetarians.
     This is discussed in some detail in section 5
     (Minerals).

     STUDIES SHOW THAT THE PROTEIN INTAKE OF VEGANS,
     EXPRESSED AS A PERCENTAGE OF ENERGY CONSUMED EACH DAY,
     IS CLOSE TO LEVELS SUGGESTED BY WHO AND NACNE AND
     ALTHOUGH IT IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF VEGETARIANS AND
     OMNIVORES, THE LATTER TWO GROUPS EAT MORE PROTEIN THAN
     GUIDELINES RECOMMEND.

     (13) PROC. NUTR. SOC., 1967, 26:205.
     (4)  AM. J. CLIN. NUTR., 1974, 27:1231.
     (14) J. AM. DIET. ASS., 1966, 48:25.
     (15)  AM. J. CLIN. NUTR., 1981, 34:2464.
     (16)  HUM. NUTR.: APPL. NUTR., 1984, 38A:345
     (17)  J. ROY. COLL. GEN. PRACT., 1985, 35:333.
     (18)  HUM. NUTR.: APPL. NUTR., 1987, 41A:204.
     (19)  BR. J. NUTR., 1986, 56:17.


Gill Langley's book is also very useful for lacto-
vegetarians as well, since many of the same issues and
nutritional needs of vegans apply to all vegetarians.  Also,
the comparison between vegans and lacto-vegetarians is
useful information for all vegetarians.  Really, this book
is a must for every vegetarian who wishes to get informed
about vegetarian nutrition and have plenty of references to
primary sources to further research or peruse on one's own.

You can buy copies from:

        The Vegan Society Ltd
        7 Battle Road
        St Leonards-on-Sea
        East Sussex
        TN37 7AA

A more comprehensive vegetarian mail-order house has
recently been established by PAWS (The Progressive Animal
Welfare Society).  They actually have a store in Seattle:

        The PAWS Store
        8503 Greenwood Ave.
        N. Seattle,  WA 98103
        U.S.A.
        Phone/Fax (206) 782-1700

Write and ask for their extensive catalogue of vegetarian
books and pro-animal book, vegetarian vitamins, vegetarian
sandals, etc.

Alternatively, you can also mail-order for a copy of Gill
:Langley's book from the following pro-vegetarian
organization that is also worth supporting:

        THE AMERICAN VEGAN SOCIETY
        501 OLD HARDING HIGHWAY
        MALAGA, NJ 08328
        U.S.A.
        Phone: (609) 694-2887

Hope this helps,

                              Ted Altar