Health & nutrition: plant based protein

Foodie fact: excluding exceptions such as soya, hemp and quinoa, plant based protein is low biological value (incomplete).

Although dedicating every ounce of energy to a plant based diet may decrease our risk of death and disease - both vegan and vegetarian diets have been linked to a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and lower blood cholesterol levels, as well as reduced mortality rates - we're still susceptible to suffering from the dietary deficiencies that stem from an inadequate intake of mandatory macro and micronutrients.

In fact, with many (new) non-meat eaters struggling to obtain all of the essential amino acids (the type that the body cannot create) that their bodies need to perform protein synthesis, plant based protein can not only prove to be a problematic part of vegan and vegetarian diets, but increase the incidence of developing a detrimental dietary deficiency - a diet that's missing this mandatory macronutrient over a prolonged period can create a multitude of complications such as decreased muscle mass (including the heart), stunted growth in children and an increased susceptibility to infection.

In order to ensure that you're piling your plate(s) with enough protein, aim to achieve an adequate intake of essential amino acids by consuming a diet that's derived from a selection of plant based sources such as nuts and nut butters, seeds, pulses and grains. Although quinoa, soya and hemp are the few plant foods that provide a complete source of protein, the majority of plants lack one or more of the essential amino acids i.e.wheat lacks the essential amino acid lysine whilst pulses are missing methionine, making them incomplete (low biological value), and insufficient for protein synthesis.

Final thought: the value of protein is split into two types...

1. High biological value.
Found in animal based food sources such as meat, milk, fish, eggs and poultry (and soya, hemp and quinoa), protein of a high biological value contains all of the essential amino acids that the body needs to perform protein synthesis - this makes it a complete source of protein.

2. Low biological value.
Found in most plant based food sources (excluding exceptions such as soya, hemp and quinoa!), protein of a low biological value lacks one or more of the essential amino acids making it an incomplete source of protein. This means that in order to create a complete source of protein (the protein that contains all of the essential amino acids), a variety of plant based foods must be consumed when following a vegan or vegetarian diet.

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