In our final chapter on the saga of proteins were going to cover plant based proteins, then later in the week I’m going to post an article on how to cook with plant based proteins. So why would you want to make the switch to a plant based protein? Well, even if you don’t have any type of dietary intolerance’s or restrictions, plant based proteins have benefits that milk can leave out. On a whole, plant based diets are associated with a litany of health benefits; plant based diets are considered anti inflammatory, capable or reversing type 2 diabetes, better for fighting cancer, and better for pulmonary, cognitive, and gut microbiome health. The biggest reasons people didn’t use them before were because of the price, and because some people didn’t think you could build as much muscle using a plant based diet. BUT NEITHER OF THESE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST IN 2019!
Plant based proteins have been growing in popularity lately, mostly because they’ve gotten so much cheaper and tastier to produce. Many companies are bringing prices down to the same $1-$1.25 per serving consumers expect from most other types of protein. And now, companies like PE science, Redcon1, and G.A.T.have gotten into the market, creating over a dozen products for cheap and tasty options. Garden of Life recently partnered with nestle; and now they’re poised to become one of the largest producers of organic farmland for plant based proteins, along with working to bring such innovation as bean based burger patties to tables all over America.Secondly, because almost every plant based protein is going to be a blend of plants, users receive a blend of benefits, and most importantly, a blend of amino acids. This means that plants can provide complete proteins with high levels of leucine the BCAA most responsible for mTor signaling and, theoretically, musclegrowth. Some proteins like OWYN have added BCAA’s, electrolytes and minerals, omegas, and extra fiber, they might even have added probiotics and digestive enzymes like the Garden of Life line likes to use. All of these factors can influence or improve protein absorption, that is why, as long as macro-nutrients are consistent, plant based diets build the same amount of muscle as other diets. Anecdotally, consuming even 40gs of plant based protein in a post-workout shake isn’t going to have a huge affect in the grand scheme of the 120-200 grams of protein most people need to be consuming daily anyway.
So if you care about your long term health, then plant based protein is the obvious switch. Its getting cheaper and easier than ever before to make the transition. And if you’re really worried you can always come down to Colorado Discount Nutrition and try a sample!