It may well be the greatest swindle ever pulled off. For almost a century, at least since 1914, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we have been led to believe we must consume animal muscles (meat), another mammal’s milk (cow), and nourishment for the chicken embryo (egg) to obtain enough protein for good health. What makes this such an amazing deception is that there is no evidence to support it.
The enormity of empirical evidence to support the conclusion that the human species meets it protein requirements by subsisting only on foods derived from the plant kingdom is clear cut and not the least bit controversial. But how do we reconcile this assertion with the majority of American’s belief that the human species requires protein from animal source foods? To them, this supposition is not the least bit controversial.
The long answer requires a volume of books, the short answer boils down to this: the layers of physiological, psychological, and social conditioning—reinforced by commercial, political, medical, and media influences have insulated us from objective nutritional information. Still, roughly 15 million vegan and vegetarian Americans have climbed out from under these obstacles and now can see the obvious, too. How about the rest of us?