Protein for Vegans and Vegetarians

[Guardian]

There are a few things I would like to point out about protein. Casein protein from milk comes in two major types a1 and a2. All mammals except most cows produce a2 casein. This is easily digestible and a good source of protein. However, a1 (from most cows) is not easily digested, and produces a smaller protein called beta-Casomorphin-7 (bcm7). Bcm7 is highly oxidative and acts like morphine. This is the reason cow dairy can cause constipation, mucus production, and behaviour problems. It also explains why people crave cheese and other dairy products. My suggestion is that if you want dairy, be sure that you only consume a2.

The second point is regarding the utilisation of protein. Our gut bacteria not only produce enzymes to break down protein for our needs, they also have the ability to produce essential animo acids for us. Our gut use something called shikimate pathway to produce tyrosine (which becomes dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline), tryptophan ( which becomes serotonin and melatonin), and phenylalanine (which can become tyrosine et al).

Why is this important? Glyphosate (roundup herbicide) kills plants by blocking their shikimate pathway. And in consuming foods with the herbicide, we damage our own precious gut bacteria.

Therefore, the second piece of advice is to only eat organic foods, and eat plenty of fermented foods to ensure adequate protection of the gut flora.