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Plant Protein … What I learned
Lately, I have been digging into plant-based protein as an alternative to getting my protein source from animals. I don’t know if you thought about replacing some of your meals with protein from plants, but I have learned some interesting things about them going down this path and I wanted to share them with you.
First of all, did you realize that plant proteins contain complete amino acids? They might not all be in one plant but they when you combine key plants together, they do contain amino acids that your body needs to function correctly.
I don’t know about you. I thought that was really interesting and important. If you’re like me, you grew up with people telling you that you must have meat in order to get your protein. Now, that line of thinking changing.
There’s a documentary on Netflix called The Game Changers which I found very interesting. It’s one of the reasons I started digging into not only plant-based meat but plant protein in general. In order to be completely transparent though, this documentary was made to promote veganism.
Trust me, I do not think that I could ever become vegan. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m just saying that it’s not the lifestyle for me.
I do believe however that you can gain a lot of health benefits by making a combination of plant-based proteins in animal-based proteins. I don’t think you should go overboard on either one especially after doing all the research I’ve done.
Have you ever wondered why protein is important for everyone to have in their diet? Plain and simple… health.
“When you want to build a healthy body, you have to get the right amount of protein. Protein is one of the most essential components of muscle development, bone density, muscle mass and lean tissue — and that’s just the beginning. In truth, protein is necessary for all your body’s physiological functions”. (1)
So, let me run down what I have discovered about plant protein and why it is different than animal protein
Plant protein contains carbohydrates
Why is this important? Carbohydrates can get a bad rap. But they are necessary for your body to function properly. The main purpose of carbohydrates in the diet is to provide energy. Most carbs get broken down or transformed into glucose, which can be used as energy.
Some carbs can also be turned into” fat (stored energy) for later use. The carbs you find in plants are not the refined carbs like you find in cookies and candies, but they are known as complex carbs. It has been shown that eating them is linked to improved metabolic health and a lower risk of disease” (10).
It contains fiber
Fiber is important for a variety of reasons. I think most everyone has heard that fiber helps you lose weight. Studies have been done that prove this.
“Dieters who were told to get at least 30 grams of fiber a day, but given no other dietary parameters, lost a significant amount of weight, found a recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine”.
It also helps people to maintain a healthier weight who may have lost weight or are already at a healthy weight but they want to maintain. When you maintain a healthier weight, you lower your risks for many other diseases.
Fiber delivers a one-two punch by keeping you blood sugar levels steady and keeping you at a healthy weight. Both of these combined lower your odds of getting type 2 diabetes.
Now, this is a very interesting tidbit that I found on Eatingwell.com, “For every 7 grams of fiber eaten daily, your risk of heart disease drops by 9 percent found a review of 22 studies published in the BMJ. That’s partly due to fiber’s ability to sop up excess cholesterol in your system and ferry it out before it can clog your arteries.”.
With heart disease prevalent in my family and my risk factors being high, this made me take notice.
Another benefit from the plant fiber is that it helps your gut bacteria. We want good bacteria in our gut. Fiber, I found, is a food that those healthy gut bacteria love and flourish on.
The caveat, you have to be sure to get that fiber daily because the fluctuations in your body can cause inflammation. Inflammation leads to bad things.
One more benefit – the fiber you get can reduce your risk of certain cancers. According to the Annals of Oncology, “Every 10 grams of fiber you eat is associated with a 10 percent reduced risk of colorectal cancer and a 5 percent fall in breast cancer risk”. That is well worth adding plant protein to my diet.
It contains vitamins
Did you know that plants contain iron? Neither did I. I always thought you get iron from animal meats. It turns out that plants contain a non-heme iron.
Even though this iron is not absorbed as well by the body as heme iron (iron from animal meats), it’s absorption is increased when combined with Vitamin C.
Take away from that is to always combine your plant protein with a source of vitamin C.
Another vitamin that we can get from plant proteins is calcium. Again, I found that fascinating. Things like kale, broccoli, black beans, almonds and almond butter are all plant-based sources of calcium.
All very easy to incorporate into your diet.
There are some vitamins that you can’t get from plant proteins so you would need to be sure to supplement with a good multi-vitamin. Hey, I do that already. I am a firm believer in supplements.
It contains minerals
Zinc is found in a lot of plant proteins. What does zinc do? Good question. It is important for immunity, wound healing and growth in children. With Covid19 being a novel virus, and seasonal flu and other infections, it is important to get this mineral in your diet.
Final thoughts
As I dig more into plants and the plant proteins, I am learning that I have made a good decision to add this as part of my weekly and daily dietary routine. I do stress, for me, I will continue to eat animal proteins as well.
I don’t see myself ever giving up that entirely. I may change my mind, but for now I will stay status quo.
But what do you think?
