tain, and repair body tissue and is widely available in beans, nuts, vegetables, and grains. Protein deficiency is almost unheard of in the Western world. It’s easy to get all the protein you need without eating meat, dairy, or eggs.
An average woman needs about 46 grams of protein per day; the average man about 56. But many people consume many times this amount, and when it comes to protein more isn’t necessarily better. Studies have found that diets rich in animal protein are linked to a fivefold increase in risk of death from diabetes and a fourfold increase in risk of death from cancer—risk factors that are comparable to smoking. Foods rich in animal protein are often packed with saturated fat and cholesterol.
A healthy plant-based diet provides all the protein our bodies need, without any of the health risks. All foods, including fruits and vegetables, contain protein, while certain plant-based foods, like whole grains, beans, nuts, lentils, tofu, and quinoa are high in protein.
A clear illustration of the quality of a plant-based food compared to that of an animal-based product can be seen if we compare the nutritional data of 100 grams of tofu to that of eggs. The protein content of the tofu is 13g whilst the eggs only provides 10g. The calcium content of tofu is 373mg, while that of eggs comes in at 66mg. The only statistic in which eggs beat tofu in is in the amount of cholesterol, which comes in at a whopping 277mg whilst the tofu has 0mg. Equally the eggs have 145mg of sodium whilst tofu only has 16mg. An excessive amount of sodium in the body increases blood pressure and therefore too much sodium will increase your risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney disease.
Like iron, magnesium, and copper, calcium is a mineral which is found in the soil, where it is absorbed into the roots of plants. As vegans, we eat the plants, and thus get the minerals that are in the plants we consume; animals get their calcium in the same way. So even though we are all conditioned to believe that calcium comes from milk and dairy products, the real source of calcium is coming from the plants the animal is consuming, the animal is just the middle man if you like.
Spinach contains relatively high amounts of calcium but also contain a substance called oxalate, which hinders absorption. It is better to get your calcium from green vegetables such as kale, broccoli and bok choy. The calcium in these is absorbed about twice as well as the calcium in cow’s milk.