Plant Protein, Protein Everything you should be aware of.

The Power of Plant Protein, Protein and Everything You Need to Know.

When it comes to nutrition, protein is essential for muscle growth, repair, and overall health. While many turn to animal-based sources, plant protein is also gaining popularity for its health benefits and environmental impact. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just looking to improve your diet, understanding plant-based protein sources can be a game-changer. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about plant protein and protein—its benefits, sources, and why it’s a great choice for everyone. Keep reading to discover how plant protein can boost your health naturally!

Before I Start I would like all of us to understand that nothing beats the natural sources of Protein, and it is not limited to those chemical-filled highly concentrated Powders available in the market. Also, a balanced meal and exercise are the keys to having a healthy body since building good muscle mass is not limited to consuming protein powders only.

PLANT PROTEIN AND PROTEIN: Basic Definition.

The most simple definition of protein is any single food or combination of foods that provides all the nine Essential amino acids (please do not get confused regarding the term amino acid, it has been explained in the next paragraph). I will try and explain it further, and this will be long but interesting, so please bear, since I have tried to debunk various myths associated with protein especially the ones marketing agencies use to sell their Chemically filled products.

WHAT IS PROTEIN OR PLANT PROTEIN.

In simple words: Protein is a macronutrient and the most essential nutrient that is required for the maintenance and building of body tissues and muscles. Now these are made of small compounds called amino acids. Although there are hundreds of amino acids that exist in nature, we humans use only 22 of them. Now comes the interesting part, Humans can produce all but nine of these amino acids it needs. These nine are called essential amino acids and these have to come from food. Now all food generally contains a combination of amino acids in various permutations and combinations but if we speak in general terms animal proteins like dairy, meat, and eggs contain all these nine essential amino acids.

For VEGANS there’s a challenge to have all these nine essential amino acids in one food, Only Soybeans (Tofu, Edamame, soya milk) and Quinoa can be termed as complete as these do have all nine in the same, for the rest, a bit of research needs to be done and so a well-balanced diet with a variety of foods can provide sufficient protein for the body’s needs.

Almonds, Chickpea, flaxseeds, walnuts, moong dal, peanuts, beans etc., are rich in some amino acids but may lack others. So, a combination of two or more may be required for example a combination of Almonds and flaxseed (Flaxseed has all the essential amino acids except for Lysine and is quite low, whereas Almond has good quantities of Lysine) or a combination of Almond and Chickpea or even the combination of peanut butter and wheat bread (peanut and wheat, the concept used in making peanut butter sandwich). Sheer MADness is a Combination of Almond & Flaxseed.

Plant Protein, Protein: Understand Functions, & Daily Needs for a Thriving You, Let’s dive deep into the rabbit hole.

Importance of Protein.

•Protein is important for the repair of body cells.

•Protein is required for Growth

•Less protein intake results in weak immunity, and less growth of muscles and other tissues (Always remember there’s a certain amount of wear & tear going on within the system, even if we are unaware of the same.)

•Excess protein from highly concentrated Protein isolates may lead to weight gain and problems related to the liver and kidneys.

Food that contains protein is Chicken, fish, beef, milk, dairy, all nuts and seeds, lentils, beans, soy, tofu etc., and is not restricted only to the powders available in the market.

The amino acid present in protein is the building blocks of human cells. These help form and maintain the tissues. The requirement for protein increases during the period of growth, especially from childhood till teenage when a child is growing, and also when a woman is pregnant, apart from these people who exercise, run, or do bodybuilding require good quantities of protein as there is a great amount of wear and tear happening inside.

DEBUNKING THE FIRST MYTH:

ANIMAL PROTEIN IS BETTER THAN PLANT PROTEIN.

Is animal protein better than Plant Protein or what is better Animal protein or plant protein? This is quite a common question that has been asked numerous times.

There are no hard and fast rules that Animal protein is the only best source, yes plant proteins are incomplete (Except for some most sources do not have all the nine essential amino acids) but a combination of two or more in a meal not only sorts the issue of amino acids instead becomes better than animal protein due to the various fibres, vitamins and minerals present in them.

Another question that’s been asked to me quite often is – “How good is peanut butter in terms of protein content”? “Is peanut butter complete protein”?

As of now with the research done on plant protein, the results derived are Only a few soya products like soya milk, Edamame or Quinoa can be termed as complete; peanut butter lacks the essential amino acid Methionine, but is high in Lysine, whereas grains like wheat have good quantities of Methionine, so applying peanut butter on a slice of bread sorts out the issue.

Regarding peanut butter being good or bad: It’s a personal choice, it may not be complete protein but yes, it is a very good source of protein, and when combined with grains the combination results in complete protein.

How much protein can a human absorb?

There is another Myth that humans can absorb only about 20 or 30 grams of protein in a meal but it is just a theory and haven’t found any proper evidence supporting the same, my suggestion would be to have a balanced meal (keep your protein intake to a normal level) and spread your protein intake throughout the day. This will not only help you with a better sugar level but also will bring less pressure on the kidneys and liver.

So, the next question that arises is – what normal levels of protein are and how much do humans require?

Normal levels can vary from person to person and is totally a personal choice, one can divide the protein intake throughout the day, so let’s say I intake 20 grams for breakfast through egg & milk, 20 grams for lunch through a chicken sandwich and 40 grams in dinner through a portion of grilled fish, hence dividing the entire consumption in three moderate portions of protein, thus not pressurizing the kidney and liver. Now how the individual divide will be a personal choice, so basically two key factors to be kept in mind.

1) Divide it into moderate portions.

2) There isn’t any requirement to go overboard with highly concentrated forms of powders available in the market.

DIGESTION OF PROTEIN OR PLANT PROTEIN.

How Protein or Plant Protein is digested and absorbed, and what happens to the excess? This is another question that’s been asked quite often, have tried and explained it in very simple words for everyone’s understanding.

DIGESTION OF PROTEIN:

Food that we consume be it Protein, Carbohydrate, or fat travels down the esophagus (food pipe) to the stomach, which is a J-shaped tube. Glands in the walls of the stomach secrete a digestive juice, which contains hydrochloric acid and an enzyme called Pepsin. The food is churned gently in the stomach and mixed thoroughly with the digestive juice. The acid in the juice kills germs and pepsin helps break down protein.

After entering the small intestine:

This slushy (semi-liquid) food then enters a long-coiled tube called the small intestine and is quite long (approximately 6 meters in length) It is here that most of the digestion of food takes place, Complex food molecules are broken down into simple, soluble molecules that the body can absorb, for example, carbohydrates break down to glucose Protein breaks down to amino acids etc.,

Many enzymes act on the food in the small intestine – Some act on carbohydrates, some on proteins, and some on fats. Some of these enzymes are produced in the walls of the small intestine; a few are produced by Organs such as Pancreas and liver, Pancreas secrete pancreatic juices, and the liver secret bile. Both these enzymes enter the intestine through tubes or ducts, Bile helps to break down fat into very small droplets, for fast digestion.

Breakdown and absorption:

Once the food is broken down completely, the process of absorption starts in the small intestine. The inner walls of small intestines have millions of fingers-like folds called villi. Digested food passes through the villi and enters the blood flowing in the fine capillaries in the villi. So now the blood is enriched with amino acids (from protein being broken down and absorbed) and is transported to various parts of the body through blood where repairing, and building up of cells or muscles is required.

The answer to what happens to the excess is the human system cannot store protein so once requirements are met, the extra is used as an energy source or stored as fat, hence one should not go overboard in Protein consumption, the result will never be Weight loss, instead, if a person takes in extra will slowly and eventually, gain fat in his body.

DEBUNKING ANOTHER MYTH, EXTRA PROTEIN EQUALS BIG MUSCLES.

Big steak results in big muscles, or Extra protein powder results in big muscles. Good
quantities of protein are required throughout the day divided into small portions, but only exercise, strength training, weight training etc., will result in big muscles and not extra protein. Taking us back to the importance of Exercise as explained at the beginning of the website. People should aim to consume a small/ limited amount of protein to obtain maximum protein use, muscle generation, and recovery every time they eat, (This takes us back to the point- Excess of anything is bad.)

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO HUMANS NEED?

So, by now we have understood that fewer quantities of protein are bad and so is extra consumption, leading us to the next question: How much protein do we need?

According to the studies and as per the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the recommended quantity is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, but again since everyone is an individual, this too comes under the same situation- One size doesn’t fit all.

The factors that matter are age, sex, activity level of the individual etc. So, let’s take my example, I am 44 years old, (With age sarcopenia starts to set in, and there’s a loss in muscle mass generally happens after the age of forty but varies for an individual) so I can’t stick to the formula of 0.8 gm/Kg. of my body weight, and have to increase it to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of my body weight, next is since I am an athlete even 1gm/Kg. Even this will not be sufficient; hence will have to further increase it to let’s say 1.5 gm/Kg. Of my body weight. But again, an individual should not cross the 2gm./Kg. Mark, due to the side effects of extra protein consumption. Hence one has to consider all his/ her personal habits before increasing or decreasing quantities of protein intake.

SIDE EFFECTS OF HIGH PROTEIN IN DIET.

What are the side effects of extra protein consumption? Or Side effects of a high protein diet?

As stated earlier; Excess of anything is bad; the same applies to Protein also. Will list off and explain in brief

1) Weight Gain: As explained earlier once dietary requirements are met, the balance is used as a source of energy, and the remaining gets stored as fat.

2) Constipation: This happens to many individuals if they are on an animal protein diet due to lack of roughage in their meal, even people consuming an excess of plant protein do suffer from a few stomach disorders like diarrhoea.

3) Kidney-related issues: In simple terms, first Liver and Pancreas have to work extra to digest the excess stuff and later the kidney has to work extra to flush out the excess nitrogen from the unused amino acid.

There are many other side effects like dehydration (The kidney uses the bodily fluids to flush out the excess nitrogen from an extra amino acid), heart-related issues have also been reported in a few individuals, but let’s not get scared instead consume it responsibly because Protein is one of the major nutrients required by any individual.

For easy understanding, The image above shares a graphical representation of the same.

RESULTS OF PROTEIN DEFICIENCY.

Another frequently asked question is what happens due to protein deficiency?

The answer is quite simple, not consuming enough protein results in loss of muscle mass for all and especially once a person attains the age of forty (sarcopenia) have already explained earlier.
For growing children, it would be a lack of growth.
For pregnant women, it can turn fatal for both the baby and the mother.
Heart-related issues due to weak heart muscles leading to many other side effects, respiratory issues, weak immune system etc., are all linked to Protein malnutrition.
And yes, this deficiency-related issue is not only limited to developing countries, even in developed countries people are at risk due to lack of proper diet, over-indulging habits, or undergoing special diet plans without proper supervision, or not cooking their own food etc.

HIGH PROTEIN DIET HELPS IN WEIGHT LOSS

Does a high-protein diet help in weight loss?

Nothing works better than exercise.

Exercise = Burning more Calories directly. Also, Exercise = Good muscle development/ More muscle mass = More blood flow (Blood flows mostly in muscles) = High metabolism = More calories burning off.

Yes, a high-protein diet takes time to digest and results in less intake of food (reducing overall calorie intake), thus resulting in weight loss, but one should keep in mind to always consult a doctor before changing a diet pattern due to the adverse effects associated with a diet change.

WHEY & CREATINE

What is Whey? Benefits of Whey? Side effects of Whey? What are the different kinds of Whey? Does Whey help in weight loss? Since there’s so much confusion related to this particular type of protein due to various side effects linked with it, on the contrary Gym. Enthusiast wants to have fast results, so let’s understand it.

Milk constitutes two types of proteins; one is casein and the second is whey. Now whey
protein can easily be separated from the casein in milk. This happens naturally during the cheesemaking process. Once cheese curd sets in, the by-product water is rich in whey and can be separated. Whey is a complete protein as it has all nine amino acids present in it.

Whey at home?

Curdle milk when it’s boiling by adding lemon juice. Once curdled completely, strain it through a cheesecloth/ fine strainer/ clean cotton cloth will also do. Save the cheese for later use (when compressed this cottage cheese forms Paneer). The water that comes out as a by-product is the most natural form of Whey. Let it cool, and add honey for taste. This is the most natural form of whey. This will never have any side effects even if one drinks two glasses in a go, although I never recommend anything in excess.

What are the benefits of Whey?

Whey helps in the development of lean muscle mass. Similar to other complete proteins like chicken, egg, or even plant protein when two are combined (for example a combination of Almond and flaxseed or Peanut & malted wheat or barley) this too is complete, the only edge it has is comparatively less fat, and that’s it.

Does Whey help in weight loss?

Again, as mentioned previously, a High protein diet takes time to digest. This prevents over-consumption of food thus controlling the calorie intake and aiding in weight loss to some extent. My Mantra: EXERCISE IS THE KEY.

All other benefits are similar to the benefits of any other type of complete protein. Except that the concentration is higher but then the question arises Do we need this high concentration?

And this leads to “Side effects of Whey”?

If taken in low to moderate quantities in its natural state, there are no side effects. However, due to the highly concentrated doses younger generation gym enthusiasts consume high quantities. This may cause severe complications like nausea, vomiting, and even kidney damage.

What are the different kinds of Whey?

Whey can be classified into three primary forms: WPC, which is whey protein concentrate; WPI: whey protein isolate, and WPH: whey protein hydrolysate.

WPC or Whey protein concentrate contains low levels of fat and carbohydrates. The percentage of protein in WPC depends on how concentrated it is. Generally, varies from 30 percent to 90 percent. Whey protein isolates – WPI is usually at least 90 per cent protein. WPIs are further processed to remove all the fat and lactose.

WPH or Whey protein hydrolysate is the form that has already undergone partial hydrolysis. It is a process necessary for the human system to absorb protein. WPH is easier to digest and hence used in many baby foods.

Protein powder commercially available in the market should not be consumed until and unless one has a doctor’s prescription this should apply to all varieties of supplements. There’s no requirement at all if the same benefits are derived from natural sources. Yes, athletes and sports personalities do require extra but that can easily be sourced through food or should be taken in moderation under the proper guidance of a dietician/ nutritionist. Doesn’t make any sense to put extra pressure on your kidney or liver.

Also, one should always keep in mind that these packaged foods do have loads of chemical preservatives, additives, and flavourings that also damage the human system in the long run.

CREATINE

Another of my favourite topics. These supplements have seen an upsurge in recent days. Many youngsters are having them, so let’s understand what Creatine is?

Creatine is one of our body’s natural sources of energy for muscle contraction. Out of the total requirement, almost half is produced in the liver and kidneys and then delivered to the muscles. This helps to maintain a continuous supply of energy to muscles. 95% of creatine is stored in skeletal muscles and is used during physical activity. The remaining half of the requirement can come from food such as milk, red meat, and seafood. So, the question I ask is –Is there any necessity to have such supplements?

Amateur athletes, professional bodybuilders, and people associated with power sports do consume these, and yes these do improve a bit of performance because they produce a quick burst of energy, and yes since many international platforms have allowed it, there has been an increase in its sales.

Regarding benefits of Creatine:

Improve in performance.
Helps in recovery after an intense workout.
Helps tolerate heavy loads during training.

Side effects of Creatine:

Nothing much has been reported if someone has the supplements within control limits. Supplements should always be taken under the supervision of a professional nutritionist or a doctor. There have been rare but reported incidents of neurodegenerative diseases.

As usual, my recommendation would be to avoid any supplements. Instead, refill your diet with the same nutrition through seafood or meat. One can option for natural protein powders like sattu or products from the brand Sheer MADness. Professionals should check with their healthcare providers and doctors. They are your best judge on how your body performs with or without these supplements.

CONCLUSION

Consume moderate quantities of protein and divide it throughout your day.

Food that contains protein is Chicken, fish, eggs, beef, milk, milk products, cheese, various nuts, and seeds. (Almonds, flaxseed, peanuts, walnuts, cashew nuts, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.,) lentils, legumes, beans, soybeans, etc. Protein is not limited to the powders, bars, and shakes available in the market. Watch out for the products that have chemicals in them. You have chemical-free options available from the brand Sheer MADness. A Brand of Plant Protein powder, Energy bars, Protein bars, Millet Bars and Health drinks for kids that are 100% Natural. All its products are completely free of any chemical additives, preservatives, Emulsifiers, or flavourings. The products are rich not only in Natural Protein from almonds and Flaxseed. They also contain dietary fibres, Vitamin E and Omega 3, and numerous other microminerals.

You can opt between the following Natural Plant Proteins, Health Drinks or Energy Bars that are 100% Natural

Plant Protein “Chocolate”

Plant Protein “Moringa”

Health Drink “Almond Oats”

Energy Bar

Protein Bars

Millet Bars

Before I finish, here are a few important facts to consider:

These are the same lines from my book “Great Health Comes from Exercise & Nutrition”

a) Everyone is an individual, so what suits me, may or may not suit the next person.

b) If a person has a medical condition, a doctor’s advice and prescribed medication will only help.

c) While buying any protein powder from the market read the labels carefully. Also, watch out for various codes, and words like Anti-caking agent, and INS 551( Also known as Silicon dioxide), All these are laboratory-made chemicals, and although approved by regulatory bodies think twice, will you consume a spoon of Silicon dioxide? And Silicon dioxide is just one product, there are numerous others like BHA ( Butylated hydroxyanisole ), BHT ( Butylated hydroxytoluene ) and the list of lab-made chemicals goes on and on with various codes, that we generally ignore.

Hence read the labels especially the ingredients list of the product before buying.

If you are interested in buying chemical-free Natural vegan Protein powder, Health drinks for kids or our delicious but chemical-free Energy bars and Protein bars shop @ Sheer MADness.

One can also buy our Products From Flipkart, Jio Mart or ONDC in India.

d) Exercise is the key to fitness, we should always keep in mind that exercise and nutrition are two sides of the same coin and always go hand in hand. So only nutrition will not help you attain any goals till it is not supplemented with Exercise.

e) Excess of anything is wrong, it can be the best nutrient-filled superfood, but one should consume only recommended quantities.

f) Regarding health, fitness, and nutrition, remember that Rome was not built in a day. Your discipline and consistency is the key.

g) It’s not only Exercise and protein that builds muscles, but there are numerous other factors like a healthy gut, numerous macro and micronutrients, your body type and DNA, the amount of rest the body gets, the lifestyle an individual lives, and on and on it goes. Out of all these, exercise and nutrition are within our control, and one should focus on these two primary aspects.

h) The most important part of fitness is that nothing is better than exercise and a balanced meal.