Animal Vs Plant-Based Protein - What Is Your Best Source Of Protein?

There is no doubt that good food and enough exercise can work well for the human body. But what is important is the right quantity of food. If there is imbalance in the right quantity, then that may lead to deficiencies, malnutrition, obesity or other health issues that may arise from not having a balanced diet.

This Story also Contains

1. Why Is Protein Essential?
2. How Much Protein Should I Eat In A Day?
3. Sources Of Protein

So, to be healthy and prosperous, we need to maintain the proper quantity of nutrients in our diet. Here, we will discuss one of the very essential nutrients of the body, i.e., protein.

Why Is Protein Essential?

Protein is one of the essential nutrients in our body. It is a multi-tasking nutrient as it helps with multiple functions in our body, from building cells, tissues, and muscles to making antibodies and hormones in our bodies.

Proteins are known as the "building blocks of food" because they are essential for both growth and repair. The fact that it is present in each cell of our body tells a lot about the importance of protein.

If one talks about the basic structure of the protein, then it is just a chain of amino acids. But we need to keep a check on our protein intake, as it helps our body repair existing cells and create new ones. protein rich food

Although protein is an essential nutrient for everyone, people who practice weight training or endurance sports need high protein foods. In other words, people who want to gain muscles should increase their protein intake by consuming protein rich foods and factor the intake into their training routine to take all the benefits of protein.

So far, we have understood the basics of protein, and why we need it. Now, let’s hop onto the crucial question about protein.

How Much Protein Should I Eat In A Day?

Nutrients are essential, but it is also crucial to keep in mind how much is consumed in a given day. There can’t be too little or too much of it.

So, the most important question – how much protein should one get a day? The answer, the amount of protein intake for an individual, depends upon the body weight of that individual.

In general, a human needs a dose of 0.7 to 1 g of protein per kilogram of their body weight. The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) for protein is ~0.8 g/kg of body weight for adults. When we talk about strength athletes or weightlifters, they need 1.3 to 2g of protein per kilogram of their body weight. Whereas endurance athletes are recommended to take 1.1 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight. Protein intake is essential, as muscles need it to recover and grow.

Let’s move on to the sources of protein.

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Sources Of Protein

So, protein is the essential nutrient that we can get from both animal and plant sources. Yes, you heard that right! We can get protein-rich food from animals and plants both, and you need to select the best protein food. Here is a list of some of the best sources of a high-protein diet:

• Eggs
• Yoghurt
• Milk
• Soya
• Nuts and seeds
• Chicken and turkey
• Fish and seafood
• Beans and pulses
• Pork
• Tofu and tempeh

Animal Protein Vs Plant Protein

There should be no debate about the benefits of plant-based protein versus animal-based protein. You can get what you need from both. Though we can get high protein foods from both sources, there are some differences between both. These differences are due to the number of amino acids present. It is considered that animal products are packed with all nine amino acids, so they are considered to be the complete source of protein.

On the other hand, it is considered that the plant products, even the high protein vegetarian foods, lack either one or the other of the essentially required amino acids. Due to this reason, plant protein is not considered a complete protein and is less efficient than animal protein. But at the same time, it is also said that if we consume plant protein (protein rich food) in enough quantity, then we can get the desired amount of protein required by the body.

But there is another consideration to suffice the quantity of protein in our body and to stimulate muscle growth and protein production, the plant protein that we require would bring a lot of carbohydrates with it, and our body should be able to process all the carbohydrates, otherwise, there are chances of insulin resistance or developing Type-II diabetes.

For animal protein, the consideration is that it comes with a lot of fat, so it is always advisable that the animal sources of protein should come from healthy sources like grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, etc.

To conclude, protein is one of the essential nutrients in the body that should be taken in an adequate amount from protein rich food. Too much or too little can cause severe deficiencies or diseases. If protein intake is maintained in a good portion, then that could help with muscle growth and protein production.

We can get protein rich food from both animal and plant sources. Though both sources have their pros and cons, there should not be any debate about which source is better because enough intake of both types of proteins would help fulfill the requirements of our body. At the same time, our body should also be in a better state of processing all the fats or carbohydrates that will come along with either of these protein types: otherwise, it might cause danger to our health.

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