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footprints · 11-06-2006, 04:14 PM

Hi everyone, I just wanted to clear up the idea that "some important proteins can be found only in meat, they can't be replaced by proteins, for instance, in beans or nuts."

This is because people confuse proteins and amino acids. Basically, proteins are made of long chains of amino acids - amino acids are the building blocks. There are a total of 20 different amino acids, eight of which must be present in the diet. These are the essential amino acids. The other 12, non-essential amino acids, can be made within our bodies from the essential ones. Unlike animal proteins, plant proteins may not contain all the essential amino acids, and this is where the misunderstanding comes from. However, a varied vegetarian diet means a mixture of plant proteins are consumed and so as long as your diet is varied enough, you will still get all the essential amino acids that your body needs.

Hope that helps!

11-06-2006, 04:14 PM	#34 (permalink)
footprints Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 21	protein Hi everyone, I just wanted to clear up the idea that "some important proteins can be found only in meat, they can't be replaced by proteins, for instance, in beans or nuts." This is because people confuse proteins and amino acids. Basically, proteins are made of long chains of amino acids - amino acids are the building blocks. There are a total of 20 different amino acids, eight of which must be present in the diet. These are the essential amino acids. The other 12, non-essential amino acids, can be made within our bodies from the essential ones. Unlike animal proteins, plant proteins may not contain all the essential amino acids, and this is where the misunderstanding comes from. However, a varied vegetarian diet means a mixture of plant proteins are consumed and so as long as your diet is varied enough, you will still get all the essential amino acids that your body needs. Hope that helps!