Carmen wrote:

> Dana Carpender wrote:
>
>>Krusty wrote:
>>
>>
>>>"Dana Carpender" > wrote
>>>
>>>
>>>>If the body can make it, it is considered inessential. That's the
>>>>definition. Carbohydrate is inessential.
>>>
>>>
>>>The body can make protein. By your logic. Protein is "inessential".
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Not my logic. Basic nutrition. The body cannot make all the proteins
>>it needs without protein from foods. Protein is therefore essential.
>
>
> Dietary protein is not essential. Dietary amino acids are essential.
>
> Please listen this time: Protein is not the same thing as amino acids.
> Amino acids are the building blocks from which proteins are made. The
> body can make roughly half of the amino acids to make proteins by
> itself. The others it needs to obtain from food sources. Here's the
> really important part:
> THOSE AMINO ACIDS DON'T HAVE TO COME FROM COMPLETE PROTEINS. THEY CAN
> COME FROM GRAINS, OR LEGUMES, ALONGSIDE THE CARBS IN THOSE FOODS.

I know that. And you're right -- eight amino acids are essential.

> For example, take lentils. A skip over to the USDA database shows that
> lentils contain every single one of the amino acids in some amount.
> Combine those lentils with rice and you have "complete proteins"
> because between the two foods you have sufficient amino acids to
> support protein synthesis.

Protein complementarity is not a new concept to me.

> It's every bit as possible for a human to live well without appreciable
> "dietary protein" as it is for them to live without appreciable
> "dietary carbohydrates". In each case the body will pick a different
> metabolic strategy. That's why saying that carbs are "inessential" and
> protein is essential is wrong. Neither one is necessarily essential,
> there just has to be something.

Given sufficient protein and fat, you can live without carbohydrate
(although it's tough to get down to zero grams of carb. Shellfish have
a little. Eggs have a smidge. Etc.) It doesn't matter how much
carbohydrate you have -- and I'm speaking here of pure carbohydrate, I'm
perfectly aware that many carb-heavy foods also contain proteins -- you
can't live without consuming the essential aminos.

Carbohydrate is useful for fuel, and nothing more. The body has
alternative fuel sources, most particularly fats. There is no
alternative to the essential amino acids, nor to essential fatty acids,
for that matter. I'm not saying no one should ever eat carbs. I'm not
saying that no carbohydrate food contains anything essential -- I
mentioned vitamin C, and obviously you can derive other nutrients from
unrefined carb foods. But the carbohydrate itself is defined as
inessential. That's all I'm saying.


Dana