Abramovay Ricardo, Nunes-Galbes Nadine Marques, Marrocos-Leite Fernanda Helena, Nilson Eduardo Augusto Fernandes, Louzada Maria Laura da Costa
Universidade de São Paulo. Instituto de Estudos Avançados. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Saúde Pública. Cátedra Josué de Castro de Sistemas Alimentares Saudáveis e Sustentáveis. São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Rev Saude Publica. 2025 Jun 27;59:e21. doi: 10.11606/s1518-8787.2025059006669. eCollection 2025.
Epidemiological data shows that the consumption of animal-based foods in high-income countries is excessive and harmful to health. But the association between poverty and protein deficiency is frequent, both in scientific literature and in the documents of multilateral organizations. There is a conceptual trap in this link, which consists of focusing on one nutrient and not on the whole dietary pattern. In 1974, in a text that has become a classic of nutrition science, Donald McLaren has already highlighted the mistake made by multilateral development organizations in focusing their efforts on protein supply-often in industrialized forms-without considering that, in most cases, once energy needs are met, protein deficiency is unlikely to occur. Data from the 2017-2018 Consumer Expenditure Survey helps to dispel this myth: even among the poorest 20% of the Brazilian population, the proportion of those with insufficient protein intake is tiny.
流行病学数据表明，高收入国家动物性食品的消费量过高，对健康有害。但无论是在科学文献还是多边组织的文件中，贫困与蛋白质缺乏之间的关联都很常见。这种联系存在一个概念陷阱，即只关注一种营养素，而不是整个饮食模式。1974年，在一篇已成为营养科学经典的文章中，唐纳德·麦克拉伦就已经指出多边发展组织所犯的错误，即它们将努力集中在蛋白质供应上——通常是以工业化形式——而没有考虑到，在大多数情况下，一旦能量需求得到满足，蛋白质缺乏就不太可能发生。2017 - 2018年消费者支出调查的数据有助于消除这种误解：即使在巴西最贫困的20%人口中，蛋白质摄入量不足的人口比例也很小。
