Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
"Vegan Protein Status"
Last year we learned, in a study of Buddhist nuns, that long-term vegans-- vegans for up to 72 years straight--
had clinically equivalent bone mineral density despite milk-drinking women getting twice as much calcium
intake in their daily diet.
This year, there was a 200 page review published on health indicators in people eating vegetarian long-term.
What about protein status? Both vegans and meat-eaters, on average, get the recommended amount
of protein in their daily diets. Meat-eaters eat about 20% more protein a day, though--but do they achieve
significantly higher levels of protein in their blood? Who has higher plasma protein levels? Three choices:
vegans higher, meat-eaters higher, or both the same protein levels?
Despite 20% less protein in their daily diets, vegans actually have significantly higher plasma albumin,
the predominant protein in the blood-- though inflammation suppresses protein production in the liver,
so this is more likely just an indicator of how much less inflammation there is in the bodies of those eating vegan.