Meat eaters and vegans love to passionately argue about protein: is animal or plant protein better?
“A recent study by German researchers provides clear arguments against animal proteins. If you eat more of them, the risk of cardiovascular diseases increases,” says nutritionist Nikita Kotelnitsky specially for MedicForum.
What we eat affects our health. Scientists have studied how different proteins and fats affect the body and mortality risk.
Main results of the study:
- The more animal protein, the higher the mortality rate. This is especially true for a typical low-carbohydrate diet: high in animal protein and low in carbohydrates.
- Higher proportions of animal protein (combined with low carbohydrates and fats) increased the overall risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, but not mortality from cancer.
- When animal protein was replaced by plant protein, overall mortality decreased.
- The risk of mortality increased when three percentenergyof animal protein were replaced by fats and carbohydrates.
- This is mainly due to the fact that the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases increased.
- Regardless of animal protein, the risk Cancer mortality increased by twelve percent when polyunsaturated fatty acids were replaced by saturated fatty acids.
The results of their and other studies suggest that a higher proportion of dietary energy from animal protein, combined with a low intake of energy from carbohydrates or fat, increases the risk of mortality.
“It is important to note that animal protein was not the only macronutrient associated with an increased risk of mortality.”
Future studies should therefore continue to attempt to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
< h3>Why does the body need protein?
“Basically, protein is a collective term for 20 different amino acids. Eight of them must be consumed in food.”
Amino acids perform many different jobs, including:
- They are the building blocks in every cell, skin, nails and hair, bones, cartilage, connective tissue and organs , such as the brain.
- They transport fat and oxygen.
- They create nitrogen-containing compounds, such as hormones such as insulin and enzymes.
- They are involved in synthesis of histamine and serotonin.
- They are part of the immune system (for example, antibodies).
- They are important for building muscle mass.
How much protein does the body need?
In essence, protein is an important source of energy for the body: four kilocalories per gram. A nutritionist recommends meeting about 15 percent of your daily caloric needs from protein.
Guide values for people under 65 years of age: 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
For adults aged 65 years and older, the estimated value is 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day; for children it is also slightly higher, depending on their age.
These products are sources of animal protein
Animal protein is found, for example, in:
- Meat
- Fish
- egg
- milk
- dairy products
Protein content of some animal products
- Hard cheese, such as Emmental (100 grams): 30 grams of protein.
- Beef (100 grams): about 21 grams of protein.
- Poultry (100 grams): about 20 grams protein.
- Salmon (100 grams): about 20 grams protein.
- 1 egg: about 13 grams protein
- Milk (100 milliliters): 3 grams of protein
Why does the body need animal proteins?
Animal protein provides essential amino acids that the body cannot produce itself. If they come from animal products, they are more similar to human ones than to plant products. This means that the body absorbs them a little faster.
“Animal products also contain a full range of important amino acids.”
Essentially, animal and plant foods contain the same amino acids. It just varies depending on the food, how much of it is contained and in what composition.
These foods are sources of plant-based protein
Vegetable protein is found in, e.g. in:
- Legumes such as lentils and soybeans
- Grains
- Nuts
- Vegetables such as kale or broccoli
- Fruits such as avocado or dried apricots
Protein content of some plant foods
- Soybeans, tofu (100 grams): 34 grams of protein.
- Almonds (100 grams): 24 grams of protein.
- Lentils (100 grams): 23 grams of protein.
- Lupin flour (100 grams): about 18 grams of protein.
Why does the body need vegetable proteins?
The purpose of plant proteins for the body is the same as animal proteins. We can get important amino acids from both sources.
“The stomach and intestines metabolize them, and then they enter the bloodstream. Meat, high-fat dairy products and eggs contain, in addition to healthy proteins, also harmful fats such as cholesterol. So it makes sense to rely more on proteins “
Overall, these data show that the traditional approach to pricing animal protein fundamentally higher than plant protein does not make sense.
Earlier, MedicForum wrote about the importance of vitamin D for health.
< b>Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.