Is Plant-Based Meat Protein as Good as Animal-Based?

Plant-based meat protein has become enormously popular in the last few years.  Companies have poured millions into offering non-animal-based products that have the flavor and consistency of certain classic favorites such as burgers and sausages. They provide consumers with some of the meals they love without harm to animals, and with a claim that they are less harmful to the environment as well. That said, are they as nutritious?

Initial Claims Indicated that Plant-Based Meat Protein was Healthier than Conventional Meats

Among the top claims associated with eating plant-based meat protein has been that they are also a healthier option.  They are lower in fat and cholesterol than their animal-based alternatives.  Some even promised that they fit more neatly into an obesity reduction diet and that they also came with a lower cardiovascular disease risk.  That said, more recent studies, such as one in the Catalyst journal, indicated that they might not be as digestible in humans than animal-based versions.

Further research is certainly required, as one study cannot be considered to be adequate to turn an entire category of nutrition on its head. That said, it has placed the spotlight on the relatively unknown benefits and drawbacks of plant-based meat protein and where it stands in a complete nutritious diet.

In another study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers compared the protein absorption that occurred in plant-based meat with that of chicken.  What they determined was that the chicken was absorbed far more effectively during an in-virtro digestion process than was the case with the plant-based protein (a chicken alternative made of soybean concentrate and wheat gluten with a 24.2% protein content).

Why the Difference?

Despite taking steps to ensure consistency in sample size, thorough chewing, and so on, the plant-based meat protein did not absorb as well during in vitro testing to model absorption. The researchers found in the results that the plant-based products gradually increased in water solubility throughout in vitro digestion. This reached about 8 percent following gastric digestion, rising to 14 percent by the end of intestinal digestion. Moreover, of the 110 peptides identified in the plant-based option, about 50% percent were found in what was left behind after digestion was complete.

That said, the chicken was consistently more water-soluble throughout the entire process. There were more than 500 peptides identified in the chicken, and only 15 percent were left over following digestion.

Still, the authors underscored that plant-based meat could still be considered a good source of protein and indicated that larger studies were certainly required.