By now we all realise the importance of protein, and because the body doesn’t store protein we need to ensure we are getting enough in our daily diet (at least 0.8g per pound of bodyweight.)
But what is the difference between animal and plant sources?
To find the answer to this we need to look at the ‘Bioavailability’ of each source and also the ‘Amino Acids’ contained in each source.
1. Protein bioavailability refers to how well your body utilises a specific type of protein. A protein is considered high bioavailable if it is easy to digest, absorb and make into other proteins.
The bio-availability index is as follows:
Whey protein isolate blends (protein powder isolate) 100-159
Whey Concentrate (protein powder non isolate) 104
Whole egg 100
Cows Milk 91
Egg white 88
Fish 83
Beef 80
Chicken 79
Casein 77
Rice 74
Soy 59
Wheat 54
Beans 49
Peanuts 43
So if you are only consuming plant proteins, you need to eat a much larger intake to get your daily protein requirements and even if you do, you would over-consume in calories which could inevitably lead to fat gain.
2. Essential Amino Acids
Proteins are made up of amino acids. A person needs a balance of all 22 amino acids to function correctly. The body cannot produce 9 of these amino acids, called EAAs. A ‘complete’ protein source refers to a food that contains all 9.
Most animal sources are complete sources, for example fish, eggs, cheese, milk, whey, red meat, poultry, turkey and quails.
Most plant sources are incomplete, apart from quinoa and buckwheat. Therefore it’s important for vegetarians and vegans to mix their protein sources to ensure they’re getting all of the amino acids.
3. So which is preferable, health wise?
Certain sources of animal protein can contain high levels of heme iron (red meat) and vitamin B-12 (fish, meat, poultry and dairy) while some plant based foods lack these minerals. On the other hand, phytonutrients and some antioxidants are absent from sources of animal protein.
Animal protein sources also provide other vital vitamins and minerals that are missing in plant proteins, such as Vitamin D (oily fish, eggs and dairy) DHA (essential OMEGA 3 fat) and zinc (beef, pork and lamb.)
Overall, it is best to consume adequate protein from a wide variety of sources. This helps to ensure that a person gets a healthy balance of amino acids and other vital nutrients. For optimal health, evidence suggests a diet that is low in processed meat, rich in plant protein and includes animal sources such a grass-fed meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy. As plant protein sources have lower quality proteins, vegetarians and vegans should eat a wide variety of foods to ensure they are getting all amino acids they need. For meat eaters, it is important to get the right balance of meat and plant foods – eat your greens!!!
SOURCES:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322827#plant-vs-animal-protein
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