5 ways plant protein can boost health

Thinking of ditching meat? Here’s 5 ways plant protein can boost health. It’s a fact that cannot be ignored: veganism is rapidly rising, and has no intention of slowing down. This could be down to recent studies, which have shown that replacing meat with plant-based sources of protein not only increases your life expectancy, but gives you a better quality of life. So here are five reasons why plant-based proteins are good for you…

Great nutritional content

Plant proteins, such as beans, lentils, nuts, grains and seeds are low in saturated fat and are alkaline-forming, meaning that they help balance your body’s naturally alkaline pH. This helps to combat inflammation of the muscles, and helps to reduce stress and keep your bones healthy. On top of this, studies show that exchanging just a small amount (15g-19g) of processed red meat for plant protein reduces the risk of early death by 34 per cent!

Lower in saturated fat

Meat is naturally acidic, and low in fibre, so our bodies sometimes struggle to digest it and absorb any nutrients from it, leading to feeling sluggish and gaining weight. Plant proteins don’t contain all of the essential amino acids like meat does, but by eating a wide variety of plant proteins you can get all of these amino acids, but without the high amounts of saturated fat.

They’re all natural

Along with all of those essential amino acids in animal products come downsides – such as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. They also have added hormones, antibiotics, bacteria and carcinogens, meaning you are putting a lot of extra things in your body when you sit down for your dinner every night. Plant-based proteins are no-where near as processed as meat; they don’t have anything unnatural added to them.

Better for the environment

A big plus of plant-based proteins is that they are much more environmentally sustainable – as they don’t require animals to be killed and can be easily sourced in the UK. The production of animal products around the UK uses a huge amount of water, energy and fuel to keep things running, so switching to plant-based proteins could have a huge environmental impact.

Great for developing muscles
There is also a myth that animal protein is the only kind of protein that can sufficiently build muscle. Contrary to popular belief, plant-based protein gives your muscles all of the sustenance that they need – as their alkaline-forming aspect makes them a great protein for the development of muscles. They are also rich in antioxidants, so your limbs are much less likely to become inflamed after an intense workout.