Whey Protein vs. Plant Protein

Can plant-based protein rival the effects of whey protein? We know of one that does — Ananda Hemp’s Vegan Complete Protein 600g (Chocolate + Maca). To understand how Ananda Hemp — a leader in high-quality hemp-based supplements — accomplished this, we’ll take a look at a variety of protein powders and what the advantages and disadvantages of each are. Then we’ll be able to see how this expertly crafted plant-based protein powder surpasses the effects of whey.

What Makes a Protein Powder Effective

Protein powder is one of the safest and best supplements you can take. But, first and foremost, you want to make sure you’re getting the optimum amount and quality of protein. Also, a clean ingredient list that doesn’t include additives, fillers, and thickeners is important. And bonus if those minimal ingredients have additional benefits to your dietary health.

Here’s the basic criteria for high-quality protein powder:

• Amount of protein per serving in grams — if you’re taking a supplement, more grams per scoop is optimal.
• Protein digestibility — can your body break it down and use it?
• Amino acid profile — a complete amino acid profile is important for protein to be effective.

Essential Amino Acids (EAAs)

Proteins are the building blocks of the body, and they are made up of amino acids. Different sources of protein have different amino acid profiles which will determine how the protein is broken down, if it builds muscle, if it promotes weight loss, if it helps with recovery, or if it just adds to your calorie intake.

A complete protein has the amino acid profile you want. What makes a protein “complete”? The answer is essential amino acids — all of them.

Our bodies use 20 different amino acids in all kinds of combinations to provide countless functions like building muscles, providing energy, supporting digestion, and playing roles in enzymatic reactions, hormonal signaling, and neurotransmitter messaging.

But our body can only make 11 of those amino acids. The other nine need to come from food or supplements. These are the essential amino acids or EAAs.

Currently, there are many sources of protein powder you can buy. Collagen, for example, is a recent protein fade. It may give you healthier skin and help with inflammation, but it is not a complete protein, and therefore is not ideal for muscle gain or fat loss.

What Is Whey Protein?

Whey protein has been the standard in protein powder for a long time. It comes from dairy and is a complete protein. If you use a whey isolate, you get more protein and less lactose. If you use a whey concentrate, there is less protein and more lactose. While whey is a perfectly healthy way to get protein, it does not serve an increasingly lactose-intolerant population or those living vegan lifestyles.

What Is Plant-Based Protein?

Plant-based protein is extracted from many sources including peas, brown rice, and hemp. Most vegan protein options, like beans, nuts, and grains are lacking in one or more EAA like leucine, which is an EAA but also one of three branch-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that plays a critical role in kick-starting muscle protein synthesis (MPS).

About Hemp Protein

Hemp is one of many vegan protein sources, but one of the few that is a complete protein. Hemp seeds have a high digestibility, which translates to using those amino acids efficiently as building blocks for muscle. It also has more fiber than other plant-based proteins, which can promote gut health. Additionally, hemp seeds have an optimal omega 6/3 ratio of 3:1, which is rare for vegan omega sources. Sprinkle in plenty of minerals, including magnesium, iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, manganese and copper, and the benefits of hemp protein are all too obvious. And all these benefits can be enjoyed by people who are lactose-intolerant and who lead vegan lifestyles.

About Pea Protein

The only downside to whey vs. hemp protein is that whey has more protein per serving. Pea protein, however, performs just as well as whey protein in studies. And some pea isolates are even complete proteins.

Ananda Complete Plant Protein

To create a high-quality complete protein, Ananda has combined the balanced dietary benefits of hemp protein with the power of pea protein to make a superior protein supplement.

Ananda uses the best pea protein powder — fermented for optimum digestion and bioavailability.

Additionally, Ananda has added organic Peruvian maca. Maca root is an adaptogen, which is a class of herbs that helps your body adapt to stress.

Maca is both an adaptogen and a superfood. A root vegetable, it is rich in protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and amino acids such as glycine and arginine. As an adaptogen, it promotes balanced hormone production, increases it when your body is under-producing, and decreasing when your body is over-producing.

Along with their own hemp protein, fermented pea protein powder, and organic maca, Ananda’s complete protein only has three other ingredients, which contribute to its flavor: alkalized cocoa, Himalayan pink salt, and organic stevia.

Go to The Hemp Haus to check the availability of this new thoughtfully crafted, vegan complete protein.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4307635/

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/branched-chain-amino-acids-uses-risks