5 Differences Between an Animal-Based and Plant-Based Protein Supplement. Are you about to shift to a healthier lifestyle? Then congratulations are in order! You probably consider health as your top priority, or you would like to maintain your current weight. Whatever the reason, making a choice is difficult with the advent of fast-food eateries. Going for the right supplements is one of the top changes that you have to make for your diet to be healthy. And that goes for all vitamin and mineral add-ons, especially protein ones.
There is a wide debate on the differences between an animal-based and plant based protein supplement. The proponents of an all-meat diet claim that theirs is the best way, while the omnivores assert the same declaration. How do you dissect which one is the best for your daily dietary needs? Here are five differences to help you decide on the right one for you.
Amino acids
Studies have shown that animal proteins have higher concentrations of sulfuric amino acids, which harms bone health. The weakening of the bone will most likely lead to bone fractures in the foreseeable future. Fortunately, proteins from plants do not contain such components, which makes them safer for human consumption.
Fibre
You may hear that fibre, phytonutrients, and antioxidants are essential for your body’s everyday needs. Plant-based protein supplements help give all of your fibre needs. It reduces the risk of having chronic heart diseases, strokes, colon cancer, diverticulitis, and even constipation. Unfortunately, animal-based supplements stem from the by-products of meat, fish, and dairy, which do not carry any fibre.
Phosphorus
As the second most copious mineral of the human body, phosphorus is necessary for proper teeth and bone formation. It is also needed to make protein for maintenance and tissue or cell repair. But too much of it can be toxic because it leads to possible diarrhea or organ and soft-tissue hardening. It hinders the work of other minerals such as iron, calcium, and zinc, which can eventually be harmful to the blood vessels. While plant based protein supplements do not have these, animal-based ones have an abundance of the mineral.
Iron
As with most minerals, the human body cannot make iron. You have to make a conscious effort to have it in your diet. It is essential for proper blood production, respiration, energy metabolism, and optimal immune function. A depletion causes iron-deficiency anaemia – a condition that greatly affects the production of healthy red blood cells.
Iron from meat products can convert non-reactive oxidants into free radicals, impairs membranes, other cells, and DNA. It can also cause a chemical reaction, which can create carcinogens leading to cancers. But iron from plant foods do not have all of those consequences and makes it safer to ingest.
Cholesterol
You have probably heard about good and bad cholesterol and how a balance of both is good for the heart. Unfortunately, a person does not need additional intake of cholesterol because it will destroy the equilibrium. And remember that it increases the risk of chronic heart disease.
Cholesterol plaque build-up can accumulate in the vessels and arteries, and animal-based supplements may transfer more to you upon intake. However, a plant based protein supplement is bereft of animal products. So, it is safer to take.
Shifting to a healthier lifestyle is a choice that should be made very carefully. With more scientific evidence of a non-toxic intake, consider plant-based supplements for your healthier existence.