Disassembling myths on plant protein

You've probably heard a million things about plant-based protein powder (and not all of them are good): that it's only for vegans, that it's not complete, that protein is for "those who go to the gym a lot"... But many of these claims are as absurd as saying that only vegetarians can eat plants. Sounds absurd, right? If you want to know the truth about plant-based protein, keep reading!.

At Baïa Food, we want to debunk some of the most common myths surrounding plant-based proteins, including:

When we talk about a complete protein source, we refer to those that have all the essential amino acids.

Let's explain this in a simple way: amino acids are small structures that form proteins (let's imagine they are the bricks that form it). Our body cannot form some of those bricks from the molecules we have, but there are some amino acids (of the 9 that are essential) that are obtained through diet, we cannot manufacture them ourselves. Plant foods typically don't provide complete protein, but we can solve the problem by combining several plant sources.

In our Plant Protein, we use pea and rice protein, making them a complete plant protein.

We must agree with this one "a little bit." This has been a traditional problem with plant-based protein, but... we have great news! After extensive testing in our R&D department, we've achieved a delicious flavor and, very importantly for us, a pleasant texture. So much so that in 2019 we won the award for best organic product. free form with our proteins in Organic Food Iberia (an award in which consumers choose the best)

This is the biggest myth we find surrounding protein. According to the WHO, it is recommended to consume at least 0.8 to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day, although if you exercise, the ideal would be to consume between 1.5 and 2 grams per kilogram of body weight. Therefore, muscle gain is often associated with excessively strong physiques. markTwo, but nothing could be further from the truth, consuming an optimal level of protein has many benefits:

• Accelerates metabolism, given that Help to increase and maintain muscle mass, and muscle is a tissue that consumes a lot of energy at rest.
• Us Help to feel more energetic and have more strength and performance in sports and daily life
• Protein participates in countless reactions in the body. and having an optimal level makes our body function better.

Traditionally, humans could go several days without eating animal protein, for example, because they couldn't find animals to hunt.

Furthermore, animal proteins contain antigens, but... What are antigens? They're components that can trigger an immune response in our body. All animal proteins contain them, but plant-based proteins don't, which is why more and more experts recommend consuming more plant-based protein to reduce our exposure to antigens and give our immune and intestinal systems a break. Even if you're not vegan, eating only plant-based protein for a few days will be very beneficial for reducing inflammation and resetting your gut.

As we mentioned earlier, it's very difficult to reach your optimal daily protein intake through food alone. Therefore, protein powders are a great way to achieve this. The reality is that when we talk about this type of protein, we usually think of typical whey protein, but they often don't have highly recommended ingredients and many people don't feel well with them. But the good news is that we have a perfect substitute: plant-based protein powders!

If we compare them with Whey proteins: these are their benefits:

• It has no sweeteners (ours in particular): Most whey proteins have many sweeteners that are harmful to our intestinal microbiota, our vegetable proteins are free of them and of "rare ingredients"
• It is easier to digest, since many people find whey protein uncomfortable due to the lactose it contains; ours is lactose-free.

• It is a much more sustainable protein, avoiding greenhouse gas emissions and Helptrying to stop climate change.

• In our case, we enrich them with some functional ingredient such as pure cocoa (one of the brain's favorite foods, which Help to protect cardiovascular health) or maca (a Peruvian root that Help to combat stress, have more energy and regulate hormones in men and women.

Have you been surprised by the truth about popular myths about plant protein?