Your Guide To Plant Protein Powders
Whether your shaker bottle is your go-to for refuelling after a day at the gym or you’re trying to get more protein into your diet without eating more meat, plant based protein powder can help you meet your goals.
Plant Based Protein Powder
We know that plants aren’t the first things that come to mind when you think about protein, but don’t count them out yet! Meat, fish, and other animal products are naturally higher in protein, but plant based protein powder manage to hold their own — they offer several advantages such as being low-fat and cholesterol-free, and adding additional fibre to your diet.
Plant-based proteins come from many different sources: Vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and other whole foods are great starting points for creating vegetarian and vegan protein supplements. Each source offers something unique when it comes to protein levels and additional nutrients.
For example, soy protein powder is the only complete vegan protein — meaning it’s the only plant product that contains all nine essential amino acids. Brown rice protein powder is a near second, coming in strong with eight essential amino acids.
The more amino acids, the higher the protein content. And while plant based protein powder can’t quite pack the same punch as their animal-based counterparts, don’t let that worry you too much. It’s easy to find mixes of plant-based powders that will meet your needs. You can even create your own!
How Are Plant Protein Powders Made?
Compared to the whey protein powder creation process, there are many different ways companies might use to turn those legumes (or any other plant) into a protein-rich powder. However, most manufacturers gravitate to one of three main processes, so let us break it down for you (pun intended).
We’ll start at the very beginning: with the plant.
Creating A Protein Isolate
Whether you’re starting with peas, rice, hemp, soybeans, or something else entirely, plant based protein powder are derived from a sprouted plant.
Every plant contains fats, carbs, and proteins, so what manufacturers have to do is get rid of the fats and carbs while retaining as much of the protein as possible — in other words, create a protein isolate. There are three main ways to do this:
- In this method, plants are ground down into flour and then dissolved with a special solution. Anything that doesn’t dissolve is removed and discarded before the next step. The pH of the solution is then lowered (also known as acidification) which causes the dissolved proteins to become solid. Once these are separated, they can be powdered!
- By far one of the more controversial methods of extraction, hexane (a solvent) can be passed through a plant to separate the fats from the carbs and proteins. Though the fats are removed, some hexane may still appear in the final product.
- Enzymatic extraction. Enzymes are used to speed up reactions, something that this method takes advantage of. The extraction process involves using the chemical reaction of hydrolysis (a reaction with water) to separate proteins from everything else. While it may not use scary chemicals, this process is pretty slow.
But Wait, There’s More…
While plant isolates are the purest form of protein powders and thus the most useful, there are two others you may encounter:
- By using heat, acid, or enzymes, these powders are broken down even further — you might call them partially digested — to make it easier for the body to process.
- Concentrates are made by removing water and minerals from plants using heat and enzymes. These forms of protein powders often contain a lower percentage of protein as well as more carbs and fats.
Finding A Plant-Based Protein Powder
Now that you know a bit more about plant based protein powder, we hope you’ll give them a try! If you’re lactose-intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, or just tired of your regular protein powders, these can be great alternatives to animal-based products.
Benefits of Plant Protein
Growing muscles with the help of plant protein are as achievable as animal-based protein. However, you might need some amount of planning. Most of the proteins extracted from plants are incomplete. But, some of them like buckwheat and quinoa do offer all the 9 essential amino acids required for muscle growth. It is therefore suggested that you have a combination of plant-based protein powder sources to get a range of amino acids.
How is Plant Protein Beneficial?
The sources of plant protein generally consist of lower levels of cholesterol and saturated fat than animal protein. This indicates a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The presence of fibre in plant proteins helps in maintaining the smooth functioning of the digestive system.
Plant protein powder contains some antioxidants and phytonutrients that are plant-specific nutrients. Unlike animal protein powder, plant protein powder may contain lower levels of cholesterol and saturated fat, which is why people prefer having them.
Besides building muscles, plant protein is also good for the overall health of a person.
Who Would Want to Have Plant-based Protein Powder?
- People who cannot digest other protein forms due to lactose want to have plant-based protein powder
- People who want to reduce or totally avoid the use of meat or by-products of meat
- People who try to supplement protein consumption in a way that appears more “natural
Plant-based protein powder is in many ways beneficial when compared to its animal-based counterpart. Compare Protein Powder can help you compare between plant and animal protein powder and also among various plant-based powders so that you can make the perfect pick.
