How You Can Get Enough Protein From Plant-Based Foods
What’s the difference between animal vs. plant protein? How can you get enough quality plant-based protein?
Nowadays, you often hear of people raving of some new meat or dairy alternative that has hit the market. Whether it be a new nut-based milk, or a new meat substitute, an increasing amount of people are looking to incorporate more plant-based foods in their diet. It could be due to several reasons: the potential health benefits of consuming more plant-based foods, the environmental impact of animal product production, and/or ethical issues over animal treatment.
We’re all aware of the importance of consuming enough protein, and that you can get a lot of it from meat/dairy. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t get enough protein from plant sources. You’re likely going to have to be more mindful of where you’re getting your protein from, but it’s most definitely feasible.
I’ll be going over some differences between animal and plant-based proteins, as well as strategies you can use to maximize your plant-based protein.
Animal vs. Plant Protein:
1. Differences in Protein “Quality”
Protein is composed of amino acids, which we can form in our body and get from our diet. The quality of a protein source is often determined by how well it is digested/absorbed/available for the body to use, and whether it contains adequate levels of indispensable amino acids. Indispensable amino acids (aka essential amino acids) are the amino acids that our body cannot produce, so we can only get it from our diet.
Animal-based proteins are considered “higher quality” and “complete” since they contain sufficient levels of all the essential amino acids, while most plant proteins don’t. The majority of plant-based proteins have low levels of at least one indispensable amino acid, meaning they don’t contain high enough levels of it to meet our dietary requirements. As well, plant proteins are not as digestible as animal proteins, likely due to differences in protein structure between the two types. Many plant products also contains what is known as “anti-nutrients”, which are compounds that can reduce the digestion of proteins.
Overall, animal-based protein have a more desirable amino acid profile and are better digested in our body. However, you can overcome these differences in protein quality using strategies I will be going over.
2. Differences in Ability to Stimulate Muscle Protein Synthesis
Animal-based protein sources have a higher ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (building muscle) than plant sources. This has been confirmed in several studies showing that whey/casein (milk proteins) stimulate muscle protein synthesis more than wheat or soy-based proteins. Animal protein sources tend to have higher levels of leucine, an essential amino acid that is heavily involved in stimulating muscle protein synthesis.
As well, amino acids from plant-based proteins have a higher tendency to be broken down for energy and excretion (due to lower digestibility), while animal sources are generally directed more towards building muscle. Mixing plant and animal sources of protein is a way to maximize diet-induced protein synthesis. However, if you are trying to avoid consuming animal products there are other tips you can incorporate.
How Can You Optimize Plant-Based Protein?
Even though animal protein does have its advantages, the positive health/environmental/ethical impact of consuming a diet that is mostly plant-based should be considered. Here are three strategies you can use to optimize the plant-based protein you are consuming.
1. Consume Higher Amounts of Protein
Even though plant-based proteins have lower levels of indispensable amino acids, this can be compensated for by simply consuming more of it. By focusing on consuming more protein, it allows you to get enough of these amino acids to meet your dietary needs. If you find it difficult to get enough protein in plant-based meals, there’s options for you to get plant protein in the form of concentrates and isolates, which makes consuming high levels of plant proteins very feasible (e.g plant-based protein powders or bars).
Consuming higher levels of plant protein to compensate for its “lower” quality also can be used to enhance muscle protein synthesis. There’s some evidence showing that consuming higher levels of plant-based proteins (which would mean more leucine consumed) can induce muscle protein synthesis at a comparable level as animal proteins.
2. “Complementing” Protein Sources
The lower levels of essential amino acids found in plant proteins becomes less relevant if you’re getting your protein from a wide variety of sources. Consuming high protein foods from different sources allows you to meet adequate amounts of essential amino acids. Different types of plant sources are limiting in different types of amino acids. For example, grains tend to have low levels of the amino acid lysine, while legumes contain higher levels of lysine but less sulfur-containing amino acids. By consuming both these foods together, it negates the issue of not getting enough of these types of amino acids. Mixing together different types of high-protein plant foods is a strategy that is often used to ensure you aren’t lacking in any amino acids.
Take-Away Points:
There is an overall increase in interest in gravitating towards a more plant-based diet amongst many health-conscious individuals. There are advantages that animal-based protein offers over plant proteins; but there are tips you can use to get quality protein solely from plant sources. Focusing on incorporating a high quantity and variety of high protein plant foods is important.
You just read another post from In Fitness And In Health: a health and fitness community dedicated to sharing knowledge, lessons, and suggestions to living happier, healthier lives.
If you’d like to join our newsletter and receive more stories like this one, tap here.
