Page 60 - Beauties for Life in the Qur'an

58 BEAUTIES FOR LIFE IN THE QUR'AN

etary protein, primarily those from plants, do not contain ade-
quate amounts of all essential amino acids. Vegetarians who
rely upon vegetables for protein can receive adequate amounts
of all essential amino acids only by complementing their diets
with complete proteins. A low-protein vegetarian diet, while
high in carbohydrates, prevents the sufficient intake of amino
acids and eventually causes edema (a swelling due to the exces-
sive accumulation of fluid in tissues). This is a serious malfor-
mation that can cause death. 4
Meat is not only a high-protein nutriment, but also is rich in
such vital minerals as iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, sele-
nium, and many other vitamins (largely members of the vita-
min B complex). Vegetables also contain iron and zinc, but
because people who follow a diet rich in vegetables rely solely
upon fiber-rich foods, their bodies cannot digest iron and zinc
fully.
Saturated fats found in red meat prevent paralysis, especially
5
in men. Paralysis occurs as a result of a sudden pumping of
blood to brain cells, an action that kills many blood cells.
However, recent studies reveal that animal fats regulate the
flow of blood to the brain.
Contrary to the general assumption, meat-free diets are not
low in cholesterol. Given that foods other than meat are rich in
hidden fats, vegetarians have a relatively high intake of hidden
fats. In order to maintain a good nutritious diet, specialists rec-
ommend less than 300 mgs of cholesterol intake daily. This is
the exact amount of cholesterol received from meat.
Protein (meat) digestion is a relatively long process, but 95
percent of the proteins and 96 percent of the fats it contains can
be digested easily. Fats enable the digestion of other nutrients as
well. Meat, which contains the appropriate amount of fats, re-