Amadeus Schmidt wrote:
>
> On Wed, 7 Oct 1998 07:09:33 -0400, Don Wiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> >Yoyo <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >

> >Most are not vegetarian. It depends on where in Indian and social cas
gans.


> Of course one single vegan would contradict
> the statment in that table that humans would
> "need" animal protein. They don't.
>
 I don't quite understand the point here. There is a difference between
'need' and 'thrive'.  Mb you could keep someone alive on a purely vegan
diet...mb stunted in growth, unhealthy, not strong and short lived, in
the same sense that you can keep a person alive in a dungeon for a long
time, maybe. In the same sense that POWs have lived on terrible food and
some survived.

  The unfortunate refugees and starving people in Africa are being given
grains primarily and mb this will keep them from dying long enough to
get some other protein food. This is not the same as proving we don't
'need' protein in order to thrive.

  My own conviction is that protein is very necessary for thriving
especially for children's development. All the reports of people living
primarily on protein [meat] emphasize how well they are, how energetic,
good humored and lacking in the degenerative diseases. My own bod does
well only on the lowest carb diet..altho it is very hard to do in this
milieu despite all the evidence I have. [carb addiction?? allergies?]

I never tire of meat and the bod never has a bad reaction. All my
'symptoms' go away..no heartburn, no bloating, no allergies, no joint
pains...no wildly swinging bloodsugars.

If vegetarianism works for you and you are well and strong and thriving
then so be it and I am glad for you. I have seen some reviews which
indicate that it doesn't last for many years. That some young people may
have the stamina and recuperative ability to maintain an inadequate diet
is probably true but not good evidence in the long run.

yoyo