eugenez@azure.UUCP (Eugene Zinter) (10/31/84)
[Junk Food for the Mysterious Line Eater]
Actually, nemo (harvard!seismo!rochester!nemo) brought up an
interesting point. In terms of the essential amino acids,
the amount needed actually is VERY little.
The following information should verify this:
Estimated MINIMUM Requirements of ADULTS
for Essential Amino Acids
AMINO ACID WOMEN (a) Gram/Day MEN (b) Gram/Day
========================================================
Isoleucine 0.45 0.70
Leucine 0.62 1.10
Lysine 0.50 0.80
Methionine ? 1.10
Cystine 0.55 1.10
Phenylalanine 0.22 1.10
Tyrosine 0.90 ?
Threonine 0.31 0.50
Tryptophan 0.16 0.25
Valine 0.65 0.80
(a) Leverton, Protein and Amino Acid Nutrition (1959).
(b) Rose. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 217:977, 1955.
As you can see, when you add the figures:
MEN = 7.45 GRAMS/DAY plus Tyrosine requirements
WOMEN = 4.36 GRAMS/DAY plus Methionine requirements
I assume that these figures are for men that weigh 150 pounds.
I don't know what weight to assume for women.
Now you may wonder how this could be true. Well, often when
you study nature, you learn incredible things. For further
proof that our essential amino acid requirements are VERY
low, look at the food provided for us at birth:
NUTRITIONAL CHART
(per 8 oz. serving)
Carbo-
hydrates Protein Fat
Calories GM GM GM
----------------------------------------------------------
Whole Milk 150 11 8 8
2% Milk 120 11 8 5
HUMAN Milk 150 16 3 8
Non-fat Dry Milk 80 12 8 0
Information in the above chart is calculated from Harrow-Mazur, Textbook
of Biochemistry, 7th Ed., W. B. Saunders 1958, p. 335, which states:
"Human milk contains less protein and more sugar than cows milk..." and
lists HUMAN MILK as containing
1.4% PROTEIN,
3.2% FAT,
7.2% SUGAR,
307 CALORIES per pound
and COWS MILK as containing
3.4% PROTEIN,
3.9% FAT,
4.9% SUGAR,
and 310 CALORIES per pound.
Comparing Cows milk to Human milk, we find that Human Milk contains:
41% as much Protein as Cows Milk
82% as much Fat as Cows Milk
147% as much Sugar as Cows Milk
99% as many Calories as Cows Milk
Thus, HUMAN infants are ingesting a food that supplies their
protein needs at a time of extreme growth. Yet this food
(HUMAN mothers milk) contains less than 2% protein.
If anyone has more up-to-date information than this, I would
appreciate seeing it.
Also, would someone tell me how much milk per day an infant
ingests? Give me an average weight for males and females and
the average amount of milk ingested per day for each.
Thanks.
ECZ