Busting the Myth: Do Vegans Really Need to Combine Plant Proteins?

Protein is a fundamental macronutrient that plays a critical role in the growth, repair, and maintenance of the body. As the building block of life, it is essential for the structure and function of every cell, from the muscles that allow us to move to the enzymes that facilitate biochemical reactions within our cells.

However, when it comes to plant-based eating, protein can be a tricky subject. As a vegan, you may have heard that you need to pay special attention to getting all the essential amino acids your body needs. Some people even say that you must carefully combine certain plant proteins to get a “complete protein.” But is that really true?

The Protein Puzzle for Vegans

To understand if vegans need to combine their plant proteins, let’s break down what we know about protein, essential amino acids, and plant-based proteins.

Understanding the Importance of Protein

While it’s not necessary to understand the chemical structure of proteins in detail, it’s useful to know a few things about them:

• Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids, which are linked together by peptide bonds.
• There are 20 different types of amino acids that can be linked together to form proteins.
• The body uses amino acids as the building blocks to create its own proteins. Some amino acids can be produced by the body, while others must be obtained from the diet. These essential amino acids must be consumed regularly in adequate amounts.

The Role of Protein in the Body

Here are some of the functions of protein in the body:

• Provides structure: Proteins are the primary component of skin, bones, muscles, and other tissues.
• Facilitates biochemical reactions: Enzymes, which are proteins, help speed up chemical reactions in the body.
• Transports substances: Proteins like hemoglobin carry oxygen in the blood, while transferrin carries iron.
• Regulates bodily functions: Hormones, which are also proteins, help regulate functions like growth, metabolism, and sexual function.

Since the body uses protein for so many different purposes, it’s important that we consume enough to meet our needs.

The Myth of Protein Combining

Now that we understand the basics of protein and amino acids let’s delve into the myth that vegans need to combine certain plant proteins to get a “complete protein.”

The idea that plant proteins must be carefully combined to ensure adequate nutrition has been around for over a century. However, this concept is based on limited information and outdated assumptions.

The protein combining myth stems from the idea that certain essential amino acids cannot be stored in the body for long periods. Therefore, it was believed that these amino acids needed to be consumed together in the same meal for the body to utilize them effectively. However, recent research has shown that most essential amino acids can indeed be stored in the body.

Moreover, studies have shown that plant-based proteins can provide all the essential amino acids the body needs when consumed throughout the day as part of a varied and balanced diet. This concept is known as protein complementarity. In other words, eating a variety of plant-based foods throughout the day will provide all the essential amino acids you need, without the need to combine specific proteins in the same meal.

Exploring the Latest Research

Let’s take a closer look at some of the research that has debunked the protein combining myth and provided a better understanding of how to meet our protein needs as vegans.

One important concept to understand is the difference between protein quality and protein bioavailability. Protein quality refers to the proportion of essential amino acids in a given protein source compared to the requirements of human nutrition. Protein bioavailability, on the other hand, refers to how easily the body can absorb and use the protein from a particular food.

Plant-based proteins generally have lower protein quality than animal-derived proteins because they contain lower amounts of certain essential amino acids. However, plant-based proteins can still provide all the essential amino acids the body needs when consumed throughout the day as part of a varied and balanced diet.

This is because different plant-based proteins have complementary amino acid profiles. For example, legumes like lentils, chickpeas, and beans are rich in lysine, an essential amino acid that rice is low in. Rice, on the other hand, is a good source of methionine, an essential amino acid that legumes are low in. By combining these two foods, you can obtain all the essential amino acids your body needs.

Furthermore, the process of cooking and preparing plant-based foods can significantly improve their protein bioavailability. For example, soaking and cooking lentils increases the amount of lysine, an essential amino acid, that is available to the body. Similarly, sprouting legumes and grains can increase the amount of protein they contain and make it more easily digestible.

Understanding these concepts helps us bust the myth that vegans need to carefully combine specific plant proteins at each meal to get a “complete protein.” Instead, we can meet our protein needs by eating a varied and balanced plant-based diet throughout the day.

Amino Acid Profiles of Plant-Based Foods

To illustrate the concept of complementary amino acid profiles, let’s take a look at some common plant-based foods and their essential amino acid profiles.

As you can see, lentils are a good source of lysine but are lower in methionine, while rice has the opposite profile. When consumed together, they provide all the essential amino acids the body needs.

Busting the Protein Combining Myth

The Sufficiency of Plant-Based Proteins

The latest scientific evidence suggests that it is indeed possible to meet protein needs on a vegan diet, without the need for careful protein combining. This is because:

• Plant-based proteins can provide all the essential amino acids the body needs when consumed throughout the day as part of a varied and balanced diet.
• Cooking and processing can improve the protein quality and bioavailability of plant-based foods.

Therefore, vegans can meet their protein needs by simply eating a varied and balanced plant-based diet, without the need for precise protein combining.

That being said, it’s still important to pay attention to your protein intake as a vegan, especially during periods of growth (like pregnancy and adolescence) or when engaging in intense physical activity. In these cases, you may want to consider increasing your protein intake or carefully planning your meals to ensure you are getting all the essential amino acids your body needs.

Practical Tips for Vegan Protein Intake

To help you ensure you are getting enough protein on a vegan diet, here are some practical tips:

• Eat a variety of plant-based protein sources: This will help ensure that you are getting all the essential amino acids your body needs throughout the day.
• Include protein-rich plant-based foods in every meal: This can include beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, seitan, quinoa, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and vegetables like broccoli and spinach.
• Consider supplementation: If you are struggling to meet your protein needs through diet alone, you may want to consider supplementing with a vegan protein powder or supplement.

Monitoring Protein Intake

To help you monitor your protein intake, you may want to:

• Keep track of your protein consumption: You can do this by keeping a food diary or using a vegan nutrition app to track your intake.
• Adjust your protein intake as needed: Depending on your age, sex, size, activity level, and personal goals, you may need to consume more or less protein than the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 0.8 g/kg of body weight per day. For example, teenage boys and pregnant women may need more protein, while older adults may benefit from less.

By following these tips, you can ensure that you are getting all the protein you need as a vegan, without the need for precise protein combining.

Optimizing Vegan Protein Intake

Now that we have busted the myth of protein combining, let’s discuss some strategies for optimizing your protein intake as a vegan.

Here are some meal planning strategies that can help you get all the essential amino acids your body needs:

• Combine complementary proteins: While you don’t need to consume them in the same meal, combining complementary proteins throughout the day can help ensure that you are getting all the essential amino acids your body needs.
• Include protein-rich snacks and beverages: You can snack on protein-rich foods like nuts, seeds, hummus, and nut butters between meals to help increase your overall protein intake.

Some examples of complementary plant-based proteins include:

• Beans and rice
• Lentils and whole wheat bread
• Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread
• Hummus and pita bread
• Tempeh and quinoa
• Chickpeas and whole wheat pasta

By including a variety of these foods in your diet, you can easily meet your protein needs as a vegan.

In summary, busting the myth of protein combining means that vegans don’t need to combine specific plant proteins at each meal to get a “complete protein.” Instead, we can meet our protein needs by eating a varied and balanced plant-based diet throughout the day. This includes combining complementary proteins throughout the day, as well as snacking on protein-rich foods between meals. By following these strategies, you can ensure that you are getting all the protein you need as a vegan, without the need for precise protein combining.