Most of What You Know About Protein Is Wrong

Take this quiz to find out more

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Let’s begin with some statements: Choose true or false.

• Only meat and other animal foods contain “complete” protein.
• The average American gets less protein than he or she needs.
• Vegan diets are deficient in protein quantity, quality, or both.
• You should be sure to eat plenty of protein at every meal for optimal health.
• Your body needs a fixed amount of protein intake every day for you to thrive.
• Carbohydrate triggers an insulin release, but protein does not.
• You need to eat animal products to grow big muscles.
• The definition of protein quality considers the effects of food on health.

How’d you do? Maybe the headline gave this away, but each of these statements is false: every one.

Common “wisdom” has it that the more protein you eat, the better — and that the best protein comes from animal products. Those misconceptions undergird all of the above falsehoods and more.