Animal Protein vs Plant Protein: Which One is Better for Me?

We all need protein, every day. Besides protein for weight loss, protein provides a litany of anti-aging benefits, including beautiful, flawless skin.

There are 2 types of protein to choose from: plant based protein and animal protein. Which one is the best protein to eat? – animal protein vs plant protein?  – is a question a lot of people never even think about.

Most people assume it doesn’t matter what protein you eat, as long as you are eating protein. I used to think like that. I was soooo wrong.

It wasn’t until my health and skin suffered terribly from eating a strict plant protein diet that I decided to dig deeper and educate myself on the difference between animal and plant protein. I learned quickly not all proteins are created equal.

PROTEIN IS ALL ABOUT THE AMINO ACIDS, the building blocks of protein.

In a nutshell, there are hundreds of amino acids but only 20 (or 21, depending on what you read) of them are in our DNA and used by the body to make the protein we need for life. 

These amino acids are used for making organs, including our heart & skin; muscles and tendons and ligaments; transmitters that send instructions from the brain through the body; critical hormones that control major bodily functions; and so on.

TYPES OF ANIMAL PROTEIN AND PLANT PROTEIN

There are lots of different types of plant and animal protein out there we can eat including soy, pea, hemp, banana, broccoli, whey, bovine, chicken and fish but all of them are made up of a very different set and sequence of amino acids.

And once our body assimilates either a plant or animal protein, it is then the amino acids go to work to perform the tasks they were designed to do.

For example, animal protein is very high in Glycine, Proline and Hydroxyproline, the top amino acids necessary to trigger collagen synthesis. Where as plant protein is chock full of leucine, isoleucine and lysine – all of which are very important for regulating blood sugar, muscle strength, growth and energy. Both proteins. Both necessary. Both focusing on a very different, and important job.

SO, which protein is the best protein to eat? Animal Protein or Plant Protein?

Answer: they are both good for you and both necessary. The best approach is to balance out your amino acids by consuming both plant and animal protein to make up the shortfall of the other.

What is Plant Protein Best For?

Plant proteins have some very useful characteristics and should not be ignored as a daily protein source. Plant proteins come from many alternative sources so you can find one or more that suit you best. Choices include many types of nuts, seeds and beans, like chia, pea, quinoa, soy and on.

Plant proteins have little saturated fats and are very digestible. They have lots of fiber, and phytonutrients, with antioxidant and anti inflammatory benefits, which most of the animal proteins don't have.

And unlike some animal protein sources, organically grown plants are grown without chemicals and hormones that are used in lesser quality animal sources. Plus most plants have a lower carbon footprint (foodprint) than many animal sources. 

Sounds good, so why do we need animal protein at all?

What is Animal Protein Good For?

Animal protein is considered a high to excellent source of protein. Animal protein also has a similar amino acid profile to that of humans. And because of that, animal protein is more bio-available and ready to be put to use to perform the task at hand. (Animal protein sources, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy, are similar to the protein found in your body).

High quality animal-sourced protein has the potential to actually replenish the collagen in our bodies.

Remember we said that protein is made up of amino acids. The important amino acids in collagen in our body (more than 2/3 of the protein) are:

• Glycine - 26.2%
• Arginine -15.4%
• Proline - 10.1%
• Alanine - 9.3%
• Hydroxyproline - 8.2%

Below is a plant protein vs animal protein chart.  Comparing the amino acids in the protein of a grass fed, pasture raised, hormone free, animal protein (bovine)  collagen powder drink mix – Triple K Drink – to that of plant based proteins, Soy and Whey:

The most striking feature of this amino acid chart is that the Whey and Soy protein amino acid profile has little or none of the essential amino acids that actually make up our body’s collagen. So, these sources might fill us up, but have no chance of assisting with collagen replenishment fostering improvements in our skin, hair, nails and joints, as animal source protein does.

So to answer the question: Which protein is better for me? Which protein is best for me to eat? Plant protein vs animal protein? The answer is both.

Each protein provides a combination and percentage of amino acids that perform functions for us to live and thrive on this planet. Plant proteins posses a litany of health benefits including heart health and cholesterol lowering.

Animal proteins contain various collagen boosting amino acids that plant proteins have either none, or very little of. And we all need collagen in our bodies - for our bones, our blood vessels, all of our organs, the scaffolding that holds us together and keeps us standing which includes healthy beautiful hair, skin and nails.

And as always, check with your health practitioner/medical doctor before you embark on any nutritional addition or submission of any dietary changes.

Until Next Time,

Kellie
Growing Younger Everyday

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26224750
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905294/
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
http://www.acsh.org/news/2016/08/24/animal-protein-vs-plant-protein-do-we-have-to-choose
https://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-protein-per-day/