Perhaps the most well known protein powders on the market today are whey, casein and soy, but whilst these are all great and certainly serve a purpose they aren’t suitable for vegans. This is why many vegan athletes use pea protein since experts believe this is the best animal-free protein powder available today since it still has a high Biological Value, unlike other vegan and vegetarian proteins on the market.
Where Does Pea Protein Come From
Pea protein powder is made from something called yellow split peas, which are basically part of the legume family (legumes are seeds, pods or any other edible part of a leguminous plant used as food.) Before yellow split peas were mainly used in soups however more recently sports nutrition companies discovered a manufacturing process where they were able to extract the protein from the yellow split peas and then make it into a powder, which could then be used by vegan athletes and bodybuilders as an efficient form of protein.
Good For Food Intolerances
Pea protein is made completely from plants therefore it contains no animal products or by products that some people may be sensitive too. Experts state it’s completely free from lactose, gluten, cholesterol and other anti-nutritional factors making it the ideal choice for those who suffer from food allergies and food sensitivities.
Other Nutritional Benefits
Many vegan and vegetarian protein powders are considered not as good as than many animal derived protein powders because they have an inferior amino acid profile. However, pea protein can boast a massive 85% protein content as well as an amino acid profile to rival any others on the market. Plus it also has large amounts of the essential branched-chain amino acids lysine, valine, arginine and isoleucine in particular.
References:
- Fuhrman, Joel; Ferreri, Deana M (2010) ‘Fueling the Vegetarian (Vegan) Athlete’ Current Sports Medicine Reports: July/August 2010 – Volume 9 – Issue 4 – pp 233-241
- P B Acosta (1988) ‘Availability of essential amino acids and nitrogen in vegan diets.’ American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, September 1988 vol. 48 no. 3 868-874
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