On Fri, 27 Oct 2000 14:19:05 -0700, Wally Day <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I believe the "complete" vs. "incomplete" labels refer
>to whether a single food has all of the essential
>amino acids in proper proportions. Generally, A SINGLE
>animal food (meat, egg, etc.) DOES have all the
>essentials, while A SINGLE plant food does NOT. It is
>true that plants, in certain COMBINATIONS, CAN provide
>all of the essentials.

As far as I know this is wrong.
All plants (i am aware of) or better all living cells have *all*
essential amino acids.
You could live on any protein - plant or animal exclusively as the
only source.
But the amino acid composition of various protein sources is varying
greately, and no protein has exactely the protein composition a human
needs
for building up its tissues its, digestion enzymes, other enzymes,
vitamins, useful other substances (NO, dopamin),
it's hair its nails ... (and muscles, if you are presently adding
muscle).

Generally animal proteins are closer to the "ideal" composition a
human
needs. So in general you need more of plant protein as you need of cow
muscle protein (and more amino acids go to the oven - burning).
One of the most widespread plant protein (wheat) happens to have a
rather
low "value" because it has a relative low amount of one amino acid -
lysine.
But it does contain lysine.

Combination of plant or any other protein sources is not necessary for
enabling the protein at all, but to make it more usefull.
For example low quality meats can be enhanced in protein quality by
adding
gelatine (while gelatine itsalf has a biological value of 0 -it's
missing
two essential amino acids).

How much proteins human test subjects actually used has been tested
several
times and i posted such test results previously (derived from books).
At:
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind9807&L=paleofood&P=R9217
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind9807&L=paleofood&P=R4764
I quote a little:
> Here some of the results compared to the value of eggs (Egg=100)
> potatoe/egg     136   (1+1/2 eggs to 1500 grams Potatoe)
> milk/wheat      109   ( 75% milkprotein )
> maize/beans     100   (1 cup Beans to 2 cups maize)
> egg             100
> meat/gelatine    99   (17% gelatine is optimum)
> meat             91
> milk of cow      88    (alone)
> beans            79     "
> maize            72     "
> wheat            51     "
> gelatine          0     "

But again, the biological value is of importance only if your diet is
low in
protein and that isn't to assume for paleolithical diets - because
even low
density food (as most plants) are very low in energy.
To get your normal energy you have to eat much protein.

Even if you eat your food energy from wheat only (which is about 600g
wheat)
you end up at 150% of protein (RDA).
As the biological value of wheat alone is low, i think this would test
the
safety margins of RDA.

Cheers,
Amadeus