Protein and the Vegetarian Diet

Why are more and more people crossing over to a vegetarian diet?Currently many health conscious individuals opt for a vegetarian diet because it is a plant-based way to supply protein, cleanse our bodies and yes, even lose weight.   

Energy is what we need to keep our bodies functioning the whole day. Did you know that   protein provides 15-20% of the energy we need everyday? We normally get our protein load from meat products, however, meat is a major exclusion from a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians naturally get their protein from the soybean plant, but  recently scientists have discovered a better plant source.

Caution: Too much soy may not be beneficial to men

Veteran vegetarians tend to mix different protein foods with incomplete protein content thinking it would suffice, while the new converts to a vegetatrian diet usually start off  with tofu. Though it’s a source of protein, it is not complete. And a word of warning to men: eating too much soy, or tofu, might lead to something you may not expect.

Vegetarian men consuming huge amounts of soy definitely do not want to increase their female hormone levels and start growing boobs or unexpectedly reach that high note. We may not be aware that soy has high amounts of plant estrogens. In light of these new findings vegetarian men might want to consider a non-soy product.

Other dangers of soy we must know

Let’s start off with the fact that a huge part of soy is genetically modified (GMO). Plus, it is one of the foods that are highly contaminated by pesticides. In an article by Sally Fallon and Mary D. Enig, they describe the dangers of soy unknown to most of us. For many years soy has been considered as one of the most beneficial foods. However, there are recent discoveries which show that there are a lot of properties in soy that are harmful to our health.

In their article, they state that soybeans have high phytic acid content. Phytic acid is a substance that inhibits absorption of minerals such as “calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc”. Zinc is the mineral responsible for “optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system”. Protein synthesis, collagen formation and blood sugar control are among the many roles of zinc to keep our body healthy. However, eating soy may disrupt all these with all the phytates it contains. Fallon and Enig also assert that vegetarians may experience mineral deficiencies considering that they usually substitute soy for meat and dairy products.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, in his article “Soy: Is it Healthy or is it Harmful?”*  enumerates some of the harmful effects of eating soy. There are studies that show that soy may increase the risk of breast cancer among women, may cause thyroid diseases (because of the isoflavones found in soy) and threaten our reproductive health.

The Optimum Source of Plant Protein

GreenCow Chia is a natural plant-based food that  provides  the best source of protein. It contains 20% protein by weight and it has 1500% more protein than soy!** GreenCow Chia does not only provide the highest quantity of protein, but also offers the best quality in the plant world. Proteins contained in GreenCow Chia are easy to digest, making them more useful for the development and repair of body tissues.

Replacing soy with GreenCow Chia

GreenCow Chia won’t ruin your reproductive health. It won’t lead you to certain cancers and other serious diseases. It is the superior source of essential oils, minerals and macronutrients. Also, unlike soy, GreenCow Chia contains no plant estrogens. This will give you a healthy balance (hormone levels) of estrogen and testosterone in your body. Most especially, GreenCow Chia provides the complete source of protein. Nothing can be compared to the completeness and quality of protein in GreenCow Chia. No need to mix up different protein sources just to meet your daily requirement. In one ounce of GreenCow Chia, 16% is protein and that’s 9% of daily value, while one piece (13g) of fried tofu only contains 4% of daily value.*** This makes GreenCow Chia the superior plant protein of choice!

Complete nutrition information may be viewed from this website:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3061/2

References:

Fallon, S. and Enig, M. G., PhD. (2000). Cinderella’s dark side, Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 3 April-May 2000). Retrieved June 2, 2009, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/04/09/soy-research-update.aspx

Mercola, J., MD. (2004). Soy: is it healthy or is it harmful”, written with Rachael Droege. Retrieved June 2, 2009, from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/01/21/soy-part-eight.aspx

Nutrition Data. (2008). Seeds, chia seeds, dried. Revised August 20, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2009, from http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3061/2

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