How much protein a human being really needs ? What are his minimum and optimum requirements ? Are proteins of vegetarian origin not as good as those of animal origin? What is the solution to the world protein shortage - if there is a shortage ? These are but a few of the scores of questions that both the nutritionist and the intelligent layman are asking themselves these days.

At the outset, let it be understood that the minimum daily requirement of protein is not one gram per each kilogram of body-weight, as text-books have all along maintained, but only 1/2 gram per kilogram body-weight. A man weighing 70 kg. does not require a minimum of 70 gram protein, but only 35 grams. This is the finding of experts. And they say it is alright to have these proteins from vegetarian sources exclusively. The very scientific book ‘Present Knowledge in Nutrition ‘ published by The Nutrition Foundation Inc., U.S.A. corroborates the FAO. It records at one place : "The optimum quantity as well as quality and kind of protein to be provided to man has not been established .... (but according to the experiemental evidence so far) 30 to 40 gms. of protein was the daily requirement of the normal subjects. "

The above recommendations accord well with the verdicts of diet reformers of last century and this. For example, Otto Carque wrote five decades ago : "If we properly balance our foods, we can safely reduce the amount of protein required daily to 1 1/2 ozes. ( appx.42 grams) "1 Dr. Bircher -Benner also pointed out in his monumental work ‘ Food Energy’ that whereas we are supposed to take 16% of our calories as protein, mother’s milk provides the quickly growing infant with 7.3% protein only ; obviously then, the actual needs of adults must be below 7.3%, 2

In any case, the conclusion we reach is that the emphasis on high-protein foods is misplaced. We need much less protein than what we are lead to believe. This is especially true of sedentary brain-workers. Conclusions based on scientific investigations and reported by Dr. Ralph Bircher two years ago 3 specifically state that the nervous system and brain need no protein at all in order to function well. "The heaviest strain and most exacting work of bran and nerves can be performed for weeks on end without any protein intake. "

Next, let us dispel doubts regarding quality of protein. Here, protagonists of non-vegetarian foods would have us believe that vegetarian proteins are inferior. As this notion is wide-spread in the allopathic school of medicine, let us quote from one of the better-known journals of allopathic medicine. 4 "Formerly, vegetarian proteins were classified as second class and regarded as inferior to first class proteins of animal origin ; but this distinction has now been generally discarded. Certainly, some vegetable proteins, if fed as SOLE source of protein, are of relatively low value for promoting growth ; but many field trials have shown that the proteins provided by suitable mixtures of vegetable origin enable children to grow no less well than children provided with milk and other animal proteins. " It is interesting to note here that the first group of children were not given even milk, and yet they thrived. According to scientists who consider as essential for adults only eight amino-acids, the following are complete vegetarian proteins ( in same class as meat and eggs ) : milk, cheese, certain seeds and nuts, wheat germ, and yeast.5

According to them, maize, potato, beans, peas, ragi and wheat are only slightly incomplete, and judicious combinations of these foods among themselves supplement deficient amino-acids in one another. For example, pulses lack methionine, but not lysine, whereas cereals are notoriously poor in lysine ; therefore, when pulses are combined with cereals, the combination provides all the essential amino-acids. Similarly, cotton-seed protein effectively supplements maize protein. Even fresh fruits, although low and incomplete in proteins, "can furnish significant quantities of essential amino-acids to supplement a diet in which a single food, such as rice, corn or wheat serves as the main source of protein. 6

Soya beans are well known not only as an excellent source of protein (40%) but also as an excellent source of complete protein. There are three thousand varieties of soya beans; it has been possible to introduce at least a few varieties in the Indian sub-continent. There are a number of other vegetable proteins which can quantitatively hold their own against non-vegetarian proteins. For example, protein content percentage of peanuts is 25 to 27; sesame seeds are 19% protein; wheat germ is 25%, pumpkin seeds are 31%. On an estimate of percentage of dry weight, peanut protein will be 65%; similarly, all the seeds and nuts are found to be above 50% proteins by dry weight. 7 We really ought to go to seeds, or be nutty, it would seem ! The conclusion , therefore, is that there is no dirth of sources of abundant and quality proteins in plant kingdom. The following figures substantiate this statement; and they are the figures given by the FAO of the United Nations. One acre of cultivable land can produce only 26 lb. of protein in a calf grazing on it. If we take it as 100 units, then the acreage will produce :

72 lbs of protein when used for dairy farming = 270 units
215 lbs of protein when used for wheat crops = 813 units
360 lbs of protein when used for soya crops = 1363 units
419 lbs of protein when used for cabbage crops = 1587 units
770 lbs of protein when used for growing certain leafy greens = 2917 units

What is said above regarding cabbage and other leafy vegetables should prove interesting. We never think of edible leaves as good sources of protein because their protein percentage is generally 1 to 2 %. But leaves grow in profusion, and if their water and cellulose can be removed, the residue contains a good percentage of protein. Fortunately, at least one scientist has done research on the extraction of leaf protein. He is the distinguished biochemist, N.W. Pirie of Rothamsted Experimental station of U.K. His simple machines ( costing only about 2 to 5 thousand rupees each, if mass produced ) can handle one ton of leaves per hour, and at least 500 lbs. of protein of high digestibility coefficient can be extracted from some of the 40 to 50 plants found suitable for the purpose. The leaf protein is superior to seed proteins and equal or almost equal to animal proteins. We have two Pirie macines working in India; one at CFTRI, Mysore and other at Coimbatore. Why can we not have more of Pirie’s machines in various parts of India ? 8

The only other cheap and vast source of protein can be unicellular organisms. The algae (microscopic one-cell plants) have been selected to feed astronauts in long inter-planetary flights, for they can grow on all kinds of waste or effete matter. The algae protein is easy to digest, is rich in lysine, and can be obtained without utilizing land, or depending upon rains or sunshine. Being vegetables, they cannot offend religious sentiments of most of our countrymen. Grown in ponds, they can be harvested every three days, and in a year, an acre of water can yield 30 tons of food. 9 Experiments have been also dine with bacteria that live on air and produce proteins. Crude oil is used as base for them. Estimates are that, if crude petroleum is used as base for micro-organism, diversion of just one percent of the world’s crude oil production can yield protein to feed 300 million people.

A nutritionist attached to the FAO has submitted in his thesis on "Solving the problem of protein malnutrion " 10 that protein deficiencies of the world can be remedied by one or more of these seven foods :

(1) Fish flour; (2) Soya bean products ; (3) Peanut flour; (4) Cotton- seed flour; (5) Sesame flour ; (6) Sunflower seed flour; (7) Coconut protein.

Of these seven, peanut flour is said to be in the most advanced stage of production in UNICEF programme for protein-rich foods. WE have already seen that peanut protein is an ideal complement to wheat protein; besides it is rich in vitamin B factors and phosphorous and iron. There are moves to produce cottonseed flour in India. This flour contains calcium and vitamins B. What is interesting to note here is that six out of seven foods on which nutrition authorities are depending to solve the world problem of protein shortage are of vegetable origin. It is also to be noted that meat does not find any place in this nutrititionist’s programme. Having put the problem of paucity of protein in proper perspective, we come to the conclusion that if there is a shortage of this vital food- constituent in this country, it can be easily remedied by proteins from vegetarian sources. There is no need to ram down the throats of vege- tarians proteins derived from blood from slughter houses, or silk pupa, or frog meat or rat meat, etc., ad nauseam. God has given all the food and all the nutrients a man needs for his best physical, mental and spiritual growth ; and these nutrients can be conveniently had without yelling for flesh and blood of our docile and domesticated bretherenor defiling our system with the gore of the helpless creatures which can not avenge the inhumanity of man.

Paper read before the 19thWorld Vegetarian Congress, 1967.

1. In an average Indian diet, protein is obtained to the extent of 30 grams.
2. Dr. Barbara Moore and others of her ilk are living proof that human beings can live well and vigorously on a modium of protein ; and that we are not nourished by only the food we eat, but also by the air we breathe, the water we drink, and maybe some unknown factors besides.
3. "The British Vegetarian" Nov. Dec’65.
4. Editorial. "The Lancet" Nov. 28th 1959.
5. Nutrition Information Centre of London, Bulletin 24.
6. A G. Kin in Jnl. of Am.Diet. Assn.35, 109, 1959.
7. J.I. Rodale’s "Complete Book of Food and Nutrition ."
8. Mr. Pirie laments " scientists have learnt not to expect quick results from useful research." (Personal correspondence, 4th Sept. 67). Mr. Pirie must be a very patient person:you can say so after 25 years of real research work, against opposition and apathy.
9. Compare one ton yield of wheat per acre of fertile land.
10. Article " Solving the problem of Protein Malnutrition " by Mona Doss, Regional Nutrition Advisor of the FAO. Journal "Health for All", Sept. 1961.