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From: mrl@oddjob.UUCP (Scott R. Anderson)
Newsgroups: net.veg
Subject: Re: Corrections - Protein and B-12
Message-ID: <1178@oddjob.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 17-Feb-86 10:40:04 EST
Article-I.D.: oddjob.1178
Posted: Mon Feb 17 10:40:04 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Feb-86 04:00:25 EST
References: <1032@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Reply-To: mrl@oddjob.UUCP (Scott R. Anderson)
Organization: University of Chicago, Department of Physics
Lines: 57

In article <1032@decwrl.DEC.COM> dyer@dec-vaxuum.UUCP writes:
>
>Corrections - Protein and B-12____________________________________
>
>    A few corrections are needed for recently-posted information
>regarding protein ...
>
>    Most Americans, vegetarians included, get more protein than
>they need.  One estimate I've seen is that the average American
>gets 100gm/day (I presume this estimate reflects the fact that
>most Americans aren't vegetarians).  In contrast, the usual daily
>recommended protein requirement is around 40gm.  (The RDA figure.
>I've seen 37gm/day and 44gm/day bounced around too.)
>    You should probably be aware that these are liberal estimates.
>Faced with having to recommend a "daily requirement" for everybody
>in sight, the figures have been raised to accomodate people with
>high protein requirements.  Most people need less, as little as
>20gm/day!

Additional information, from Diet and Nutrition, by Rudolph Ballentine,
pp. 148-9:

As a result of reading popular books on nutrition, many people have
the idea that with protein, there's no limit -- "the more the better."
In fact, one well known writer suggests that many people, especially
those whose health has not been good, should take 150 grams of protein
a day for some time. [75]
....
In contrast, one reputable nutritionist states that convincing studies
have shown that an ounce a day of pure protein of good quality is
minimally sufficient for the average adult woman "and that men require
only a bit more." [77]  This was, in fact, proved in experiments at
MIT where 100 young men were given experimental diets which allowed
regulation of protein intake.  Generally an amount less than 30g
(one ounce) was sufficient. [78]  In such countries as Peru,
populations have been studied who live to an advanced age while
maintaining their health and working daily in the field.  Their diet,
consisting largely of vegetable protein, contains only 30 grams of
protein a day.  Other researchers have found that even amounts as low
as 3.9 or 6.8 g a day were enough to prevent net protein loss from the
body. [79]

75.  Davis, Adelle.  "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit."
     New York:  New American Library, 1954, p. 39.

77.  Mayer, J.  "A Diet for Living."
     New York:  David McKay Co, 1975, p. 16.

78.  Register, V. and Sonnenberg, L.  The vegetarian diet.
     "J. Am. Diet. Assn." 62: 253-261, 1973.

79.  Bender, A. in "Proteins in Human Nutrition."  Edited by Porter, J.
     and Rolls, B.  New York:  Academc Press, 1973, pp 167-178.
-- 

					Scott Anderson
					ihnp4!oddjob!kaos!sra