Do plant-based diets meet protein needs?

Do plant-based diets meet protein needs?

There is no more contentious topic in the plant-based diet discussion than the protein debate. Skeptics question the quality and quantity of proteins from plant-based foods and whether they easily meet people's protein needs.

In this article, we review the evidence on whether protein needs are met by plant-based diets so that trainers and health professionals can easily answer any questions their clients may have.

First things first…

What a plant-based diet is and is not

Plant-based diets are often equated with veganism, but technically they are not the same thing.

The definition of a plant-based diet varies. Some plant-based diets exclude all animal products, while Other They get a significant portion of their nutrients from vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, while occasionally consuming some animal products.

Veganism is not just about eating foods that come from animals. As a researcher, Jessica Greenebaum published in Food, culture & society Although vegans represent a variety of different norms and values, "identifying as a vegan is a public declaration of one's identity, morals, and lifestyle. Veganism is more than diet; it is a philosophy and ethics." Vegetarianism is a dietary term that refers to a diet in which meat is excluded from the diet, but some dairy products or eggs may be included. Since vegetarian diets vary in terms of food inclusions and exclusions, there are Inconsistencies in studies that evaluate the health effects of vegetarian diets.

In short, people who eat a plant-based diet may or may not identify as vegan or vegetarian.

This article focuses on defining a plant-based diet that excludes all animal foods to examine what research shows regarding the possibility of meeting protein needs through plant-based foods.

What are proteins?

Proteins are large molecules that vary significantly in size, structure and function. They are made up of small components called amino acids. Our body can produce some amino acids from other components, but others must be obtained through food. The amino acids that our body cannot produce are called essential amino acids.

There are nine essential amino acids namely histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. The amino acids your body can make are called nonessential amino acids.

Amino acids are important to understand because they are the reason there is so much debate about whether plant-based diets meet protein needs.

Some amino acids can normally be produced by the body from other components, except when a person's body is under extreme stress or has an illness. These are called conditional amino acids, and they include arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine, glycine, ornithine, proline and serine.

Both essential and non-essential amino acids work together to form different patterns and proportions Proteins These have a number of important functions in the human body: They consist of antibodies, enzymes, messenger proteins such as hormones, structural components as well as transport and storage components.

Therefore, a deficiency in any amino acid, especially an essential amino acid, can be detrimental to your overall health. In this sense, regardless of your dietary habits, it is important not only to achieve an appropriate balance of amino acids through your diet, but also to ensure that your body absorbs and uses them appropriately.

How much protein do we need?

Proteins are nutrients that are needed in abundance in the human diet. Exactly how much depends on a number of factors, and most protein guidelines are questioned and challenged by professionals from various industries.

Here is a summary of the recommendations:

The Recommended daily dose Protein for men and women is 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight. So if your client weighs 70kg, they should consume approximately 56 grams of protein per day. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics highlights that athletes generally need more protein than non-athletes because they have a higher amino acid turnover. The Academy recommendation for protein intake For athletes, the value is between 1.2 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram per day.
Recent findings show that the recommended daily allowance for protein intake is too low to maintain a healthy nitrogen balance because much of the protein we consume is not used efficiently. Protein requirements for People who are sick are still a very controversial topic. This evidence suggests a minimum of 0.93 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram. Unless a person has a health condition that affects liver or kidney function, protein consumption is high (3-5 times the recommended daily intake). generally considered safe.

If we don't get enough protein, we can develop protein deficiency, which can occur in a number of ways. You can read more about the symptoms of protein deficiency here.

In summary, you should try to get at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram from various sources. If you follow a plant-based diet, you need to make additional considerations about reducing antinutrients and combining foods with complementary amino acid profiles. Both are explained in detail below.

Plant proteins vs. Animal proteins

Many experts argue that a protein is a protein, regardless of whether it comes from plants or animals. From one perspective, this is true. All proteins are made up of amino acids, and once they are absorbed and readily available for use in our body, there is no way to tell whether they come from plant or animal foods.

However, there are some things to keep in mind regarding the completeness and bioavailability of proteins in your entire diet rather than in individual foods.

The complete protein debate

The term “complete protein” is commonly used to describe food sources that contain all of the essential amino acids. All meats, eggs and dairy products are sources of “complete” proteins.

Most plant protein sources lack significant amounts of one or more amino acids. However, two facts apply:

Various plant-based protein sources add to, Mixing plant-based protein sources can therefore ensure an optimal balance of amino acids. You don't have to eat complementary protein sources in the same meal. If you want to eat your rice with one meal and your beans with another, you're good! As long as you eat a variety of grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds throughout the day and in your diet in general, you can get all the amino acids your body needs.

There are also plant-based foods that contain all the essential amino acids in varying amounts. These include blue-green algae, quinoa, soybeans and buckwheat.

Bioavailability of nutrients

Another problem with getting all protein from plant sources is the problem of Antinutrients in your food. Antinutrients are components in foods that either block the absorption of nutrients or make them less available for use in the body.

Some of these antinutrients, namely protease inhibitors and tannins, affect protein absorption and are easily found in protein-rich plant foods.

Protease inhibitors For example, they are found in grains, legumes, and seeds, all of which are major sources of protein for people following a plant-based diet. However, these can be significantly reduced by soaking, cooking and sprouting. Because beans are typically soaked and cooked before consumption, the proteins become much more bioavailable before they reach your plate. You can also intentionally increase protein availability by sprouting foods like peas before using them in food.

Tannins, found in coffee, tea, chocolate, barley and dark fruits, have many health benefits due to their antioxidant activity, but can also limit protein absorption. Some tannins are beneficial, but if necessary they can be reduced by soaking and cooking.

You can learn more about antinutrients here.

Benefits of Getting Your Protein From Plant-Based Diets

Plant-based diets have been well studied in recent decades to better understand their effects on health. Several well-designed studies have shown that plant-based diets, particularly those that exclude animal foods, contribute to this reduce the risk from various forms of heart disease, diabetes and cancer by controlling risk factors such as blood pressure and blood sugar.

If we focus specifically on the protein sources in different diets, groundbreaking studies have showed a significant association between animal protein intake and risk of mortality from cancer, cardiovascular events and other diseases. Additionally, Research shows that reducing animal protein and replacing that protein with nutrient-dense plant sources leads to a lower incidence of coronary heart disease.

Recommendations for Coaches Re: Plant-based diet

Understand your customers' dietary habits

If you're working with a client, you might want to ask what motivates them to eat the way they do.

Some people may only eat a plant-based diet for health reasons, while others may exclude animal protein because of their spiritual practices, religion, or ideology. The former may be okay to eat animal protein every now and then, while the latter will probably never make an exception to eating animal protein.

Another important thing to consider when working with clients to evaluate the possibility of adopting a plant-based diet is identifying culturally relevant, tasty, nutrient-dense, and cost-effective foods.

Understanding the mindset surrounding current and desired food choices allows you to tailor lifestyle recommendations to your customers' needs.

You can find out more about this in the following articles:

Beware of ultra-processed plant foods

Just because a food is plant-based doesn't mean it's nutrient-dense.

Plant-based meat substitutes are marketed to make consumers believe they are high in protein. Many plant-based and vegan foods that have been formed and marketed to replace their animal counterparts, such as: However, some foods, such as plant-based patties, don't contain as much protein as you might think. If you compare a plant-based meat patty to a beef patty, the plant-based patties typically contain less protein and much more fat, which comes from refined vegetable oils.

Other types of foods to watch out for include drinks and desserts. Many juices, sweetened drinks and sweet foods are plant-based, but they can also be high in trans fats and refined sugars.

Note that these foods can be part of a balanced diet and, above all, part of building a healthy relationship with food. However, it is important to be aware of what you consume and not be misled by commercial messages.

Bottom line: Should you be worried about getting enough protein on a plant-based diet?

The short answer is no in most cases. As long as you eat a balanced diet that meets your energy needs and is rich in a variety of plant-based protein sources, you shouldn't have to worry about protein intake.

If your doctor has indicated that you are at risk for protein deficiency, have protein needs that are not easily met through your diet, or have limited access to a variety of plant-based protein sources, you may consider taking a plant-based protein supplement to ensure you are meeting your protein needs. If you're considering a supplement for you or your client, check out our guide comparing ten plant-based protein supplements.

Main takeaways

Here are the main messages of this article:

The protein needs of healthy people can be met through a plant-based diet if they consume enough different plant-based protein sources. The quality and bioavailability of proteins in your overall diet is more important than that of individual foods. Most individual plant food sources lack significant amounts of at least one amino acid, but they can easily be supplemented with other foods throughout the day. Antinutrients can reduce protein absorption. So if protein intake is a problem, you can reduce antinutrients in foods high in plant proteins by soaking, fermenting, sprouting and cooking.

... more about that in the next part.
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