By now you know that you’re able to meet your daily nutritional requirements from plant-based protein powders, and you’ve found a supplement brand that aligns with all your personal ethics, morals and cost requirements.
But what kind of plant-based protein should you select? As we’ve shown in previous blog posts you could choose hemp protein, pumpkin seed protein, brown rice protein, soy protein, the list goes on.
But again, we’re here to make that choice easy for you. We humbly submit pea protein as the ultimate form of plant-based protein powder! Why?
It's a pure protein source
Pea protein is, naturally, extracted from peas! The peas are harvested and ground into a fine powder. Next, the starch and fiber are removed, leaving behind a pure, concentrated protein source. There’s no chemical shenanigans or processing going into it! It’s simply a pure plant-based protein source, perfect for your diet! What’s more, pea protein usually has a slightly higher amount of protein per 100g than other plant-based sources.
And it has a few other benefits over other plant-based proteins that make it the superior choice.
It's a complete protein
For one, its especially rich in Essential Amino Acids – it’s what we, in the protein business, call a ‘complete protein’. You could live off pea protein for your daily requirements without suffering any lack of nutrition. Research studies have found pea protein to be just as effective as whey protein in supporting muscle gain.
It's satiating and boost your health
Pea protein is low on the glycemic index. This index is used to determine how quickly a body can digest a food source. Food like oats and rice are low on the glycemic index, they make you feel full for a long time. On the other hand, foods like bananas and sugar are very high on the glycemic index, they go through your body as a quick source of energy.
To stay full for longer, you should focus on low glycemic index foods. And pea protein is one of them! As a result, it will make you feel full for longer and other studies have found that it can also assist in lowering blood pressure!
It's great for those with allergies
On top of all this, pea protein is allergen-friendly, perfect for those suffering food allergies to dairy, wheat, soy and egg. It’s perfect for vegans. It’s also lectin free and very low in something called ‘phytates’ (they slow your body’s nutrient absorption), making it ideal for easy digestion and fueling your body all day.
Pea protein is also FODMAP friendly. FODMAP stands for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols – sounds complicated, right? Luckily, this is only really relevant to those suffering from IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) – they will know all about FODMAP! Luckily, all you need to know is that if you’re ever diagnosed with IBS, you’ll be recommended to remove a whole bunch of foods from your diet, but pea protein powder won’t be one of them!
It's a sustainable protein source
Most importantly of all, pea protein is a very sustainable protein choice. Especially when compared to protein derived from animal sources, all of which have huge carbon and water footprints.
