Tag Archive for: plant-based protein

Use Animal Protein to Build Muscle

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Plant-based food versus supplemental shake: that is the question. It’s not the only question, but it’s where we start today’s Health Memo. The supplemental shake used in the study used the same type and amount of amino acids found in the rice and beans. They also used the same amount of carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. With the results virtually the same as to the lack of muscle-protein synthesis, the question becomes why?

Food Factors

The researchers suggested that the lack of muscle-protein synthesis could be due to the extraction of the amino acids from the food structure. It may take the digestive system too long to release the protein from the carbohydrate material before it reaches the end of the digestion process and thus is eliminated from the body. If true, that means the issue could get worse the older that we get and could contribute to age-related sarcopenia.

The researchers also cite that the high carbohydrate level of the rice at 114 grams might have impaired the availability of the amino acids. At some point, the elevated blood sugar blunts the use of amino acids to build muscle. They also used a supplement of carbohydrate alone in another similar study which also blunted muscle-protein synthesis.

The researchers also suggested that perhaps the amount of protein at 20 grams was too low. Other studies have used 30 grams of protein or more in similar studies with much lower carbohydrate.

The researchers also included data from another similar study using ground pork. The rate of muscle-protein synthesis was twice that found in the current study.

The Bottom Line

Where does this study leave us? With more questions.

This was a very small group of young adults; we know age, gender, fitness level, and other factors may also impact protein utilization. At this time, animal protein, whether in food or in supplement form, is probably better to build muscle than plant-based protein. In addition, it should be taken either before, during, or just after muscle-building workouts to maximize muscle-protein synthesis. We still need our carbs in grains, veggies, and fruits as well as some fat—just at another time for maximum benefit from all the nutrients.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: AJCN. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101380

Plant-Based Protein: Food vs. Shake

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There are many questions related to every aspect of nutrition. Most may seem trivial, but it doesn’t mean it won’t be helpful to know the answers. One that’s important to protein synthesis is whether a person can get enough protein from complementary plant foods or plant-based protein from shakes with the same nutrient distribution as the whole foods. Complementary protein is the concept of combining plant foods to provide a more complete amino acid profile; rice and beans would be one example.

Researchers chose 10 young people as subjects to test the muscle-protein synthesis rate of eating a complementary whole-food plant protein meal rather than a supplement with the same macronutrient profile. The meals were ingested after a weight-training session focused on leg muscles. Subjects served as their own controls, and the sessions were held in a randomized fashion one week apart.

They found no differences between the rate of muscle-protein synthesis after eating the nutrients as rice and beans or the macronutrients provided as a supplemental shake. Did it prove to be good enough to build muscle? We’ll check that out as well as a couple of surprise findings on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: AJCN. 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101380

Protein in the 21st Century

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The results of the study seemed to be definitive: animal sources of protein yield more absorption of essential amino acids (EAAs). The reason the researchers undertook the study was that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 (DGA) uses the term “ounce equivalencies” when describing protein sources. From the DGA: one ounce equivalent equals one ounce of meat, one whole egg, a quarter cup of beans, or a half ounce of nuts. The researchers question whether those sources are actually nutritionally about the same. As you can probably guess, they’re not.

Defining Equivalency

The researchers demonstrated that on an equal weight basis, those categories of foods are not equivalent on the net absorption of EAAs. When looking at the EAA breakdown of each food on the USDA Food Central Database, they are not equivalent at the same weight in EAAs or in any category. The calories are not the same per serving, the fat content is all over the place, and animal sources of food contain no fiber.

I think that both the USDA and the research group would be better served by using the word standardized, but that’s not really enough, either: it must be standardized to a specific nutrient or category. If one were to standardize to EAAs, then pork, beef, chicken, lamb, and every other animal would make the list, but plant-based products would not unless the serving size were different. Both beans and almonds have EAAs, but the portion sizes would be different and so would the calories and other nutrients.

A Better Idea

We don’t live at the turn of the last century or the 1930s; we have the technology today to use protein powders and EAAs in powder form as an addition to the foods we eat. There’s no reason we can’t add more protein as our protein needs change with our age without adding the fat and cholesterol that come with animal protein. Whether you prefer animal-based protein such as whey or plant-based protein such as soy, rice, hemp, or pea protein, you can increase the amount you get every day based on your needs. The amounts you need may vary, but 25 grams of protein is a good place to begin.

To avoid any discrepancy in the EAA content between plant and animal sources, use a product that specifically contains EAAs. They’re individual amino acids that do not have to be broken down as proteins do, and they’re absorbed faster. In this case, an additional 10 grams per day is a good place to begin.

The Bottom Line

I think the focus on protein is good at any age because we’re still a carb-centric society. If everyone would just follow the DGA instead of the modern adaptation we’ve concocted over the years, everyone would end up healthier. But we do love our Cheetos and chocolate truffles, so the teaching continues. Just remember: Make every bite count!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Nutrients, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15132870
2. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/

Best Protein Sources: Animals or Plants?

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Protein quality is integral to our health at any age and even more as the years go by. We think of protein as it relates to muscle, but there are many other uses for protein in our body: bones, skin, hair, and the hemoglobin in your blood—virtually every body part or tissue. Then there is the proteome; we make at least 10,000 different proteins to help the body do what it does. Insulin is just one example of such a protein. Your ability to make proteins is dependent on making sure you have enough protein intake on a regular basis.

Today there is more emphasis on obtaining nutrients such as protein from plant-based sources. The question is this: do we get the same amount of essential amino acids (EAA) from both animal and plant-based sources of protein? Researchers decided to compare the absorption of essential amino acids from four sources of protein, two animal and two plant-based.

Researchers recruited subjects from two different age groups: 22–39 and 55–75. The subjects ate the same exact caloric and macronutrient meal on four different occasions with one of the following added: two ounces of cooked pork, scrambled eggs, canned black beans (rinsed), or raw almonds. Then the EAA content of their blood was tested for the next five hours.

The EAA absorption in descending order was pork, eggs, black beans, and almonds; the subjects’ bodies absorbed at least twice as much EAA from animal sources than plant-based sources. There was no difference in EAA absorption between age groups. A few questions remain, and I’ll answer those on Saturday.

Tomorrow night’s Insider conference call will include more about EAAs and a self-experiment on ultra-processed foods. You can also get your questions answered if you become an Insider before 8 p.m. Eastern tomorrow night. I hope to see you then.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Nutrients, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15132870