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Login Here Signup Here Signup using FacebookHey….my b12 and protein levels were very low, even below norm 1 week into being a raw vegan. So even when I was eating meat…I probably wasn’t assimilating protein well anyway. I have now been on this diet for 3 months and have been giving myself b12 shots…so that is better, but my overall protein levels are still really low. My folic acid levels however is way over the limit. I eat brewers yeast and hemp powder and flax seed flakes every day. and I eat a lot of nuts every day…..so I don’t know what I could do that would be more efficient. Does anyone know of a more efficient way to get non dairy, non soy, non animal protein?????
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People usually say greens for protein, but greens are high in folic acid. Bananas and goji berries both have lots of amino acids for protein building. Olives and avocados are also protein sources, but I don’t know how much. Bee pollen has both protein and B12, if you are not strict vegan.
There are several “superfood” protein products that I have used in the past. Nutiva hempseed protein powder, Nutribiotics rice protein powder and Boku raw, vegan, organic, kosher, Superfood. All are good, Boku is the best because it also contains a large amount of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, besides the amino acids.
Be careful with spirulina, however it contains B12, it is said to be not the right kind and it acts against the body’s process to asssimilate B12 from food.
flybaby, where did you get this information? I’ve never heard this and a search on the internet showed nothing to substantiate this claim. In fact, there are hundreds of websites that say that it’s beneficial to health.
I wish I knew where I have read this, but I don’t. Actually there are debates about it among the scientists. I know and experienced that spirulina is very good for you. Here are some info to back up my statement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_(dietary_supplement)http://www.scienzavegetariana.it/nutrizione/alg…
Yeah, spirulina has a lot of protein – I just didn’t know about the folic acid levels in it, so I didn’t recommend it before.
Spirulina may not be the main source of B-12 in the diet. I posted a link to B-12, on another thread, by Dr. Vivian Vetrano who says that most vegans produce enough B-12 in their bodies. Not having enough B-12 might mean that there is a condition that needs to be investigated further. I don’t know what that might be, but taking more of the vitamin doesn’t address the underlying issue. A member of my MS group works for DAMS and he thinks that mercury toxicity impedes the assimilation of B-12 and zinc.
I know that Gabriel Cousens is an advocate of taking a B12 supplement. Based on studies, he believes long-term vegans who do not take a B12 supplement eventually become deficient in this nutrient.
Yes, from what I’ve read, it seems spirulina and chlorella have some human active B12, but these foods also contain analog B12, which competes for the same cell sites as the human active B12.
It’s good you’re taking hemp protein powder. It’s supposed to be very assimilable, so it’s odd you’re not absorbing it very well. It makes me wonder about your stomach acid levels or your toxic load. I have issues with both, so I’m using lemon juice w/water, probiotics, and I’m doing some detoxing.
Here are some other high-protein vegan foods: Incan berries, durian, sprouts, quinoa, amaranth, millet (the three aforementioned grains can be consumed cooked or raw and sprouted), pumpkin seeds, maca, mesquite meal, beans (cooked), blue-green algae, Sunfood Nutrition Marine Phytoplankton, and manna bread (cooked, but made from sprouted grains). David Wolfe’s Eating For Beauty has a list of the best protein foods.
Good luck on your protein quest! :)
hemp protein! super high protein, great source, highly recommend it. it’s not delicious though, so mix it into a delicious smoothie. i like to use raw power, which is a mix of hemp & brazil nut protein, because it’s a little more delicious (although still not delicious enough!) mix with bananas, berries & nut milk, and cacao if you’re into it. this way, it becomes delicious.
Maybe unacceptable to mention, but I found a rice protein powder by Nutribiotic that says that it is kept under 90 degrees during processing to retain enzyme function. Of course it’s not a WHOLE food, but it gives me peace of mind to use that and Hemp.
http://store.nutribiotic.com/pgi-productspec?0150
“Low Temperature Enzyme Process The whole brown rice is first ground into a fine flour. Pure filtered water is then added, forming a thick slurry (called liquefaction) Natural enzymes are added in at different stages to break down and separate the carbohydrate and fiber from the protein portion of the whole grain. All processing temperatures are kept below 90
i don’t see why rice protein would be unacceptable to mention. hemp protein isn’t a whole food either, but if you eat oil in other situations, you might as well eat the protein, which is just the by product of pressing the oil.
and actually, it’s good to know about, so thanks!
willow: One thing I’d like to add is that I’ve heard since everyone’s different, one source of protein might work very well for one person, but not for another. For example, chlorella might be highly assimilable for one person, but hemp protein might be much better for another. It’s looks like you’re open to experimenting, so I’m sure you’ll find what works for you. :)