American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 15, 262-274, Copyright © 1964 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

World Problems in Protein Nutrition

¹ From the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research, Rahway, New Jersey

There is substantial evidence and general agreement that protein malnutrition is common throughout much of the world today. Most vulnerable is the child subsequent to weaning. With the present and foreseeable pace of population growth, the situation could easily get worse instead of better. It should be emphasized that any solution to the problem is predicated on the checking of this real "population explosion" by acceptable and effective methods of birth control.

In much of the world, the protein deficiency is primarily one of quality, not quantity. The only real exceptions are those countries, particularly Africa, in which a large percentage of the daily caloric intake is derived from low protein foods such as cassava and potatoes. In areas in which the major part of the caloric intake is furnished by wheat, millet, teff, barley or sorghum, the chief deficiency is that of lysine. Similarly, corn requires lysine and tryptophan and rice, lysine and threonine.

It is recommended that the governmental agencies and university people interested in this problem give serious consideration toward the eventual establishment of an effective amino acid supplementation program.