Protein is critical to maintaining a healthy weight, metabolism, and building muscle (amongst other things). Besides consuming whole food-based protein, individuals can supplement with a variety of different protein powders. As consumers become more interested in consuming more sustainable food sources, plant-based proteins (like pea protein) are becoming more popular. In addition to its sustainability, pea protein is vegan, non-GMO, allergen-free, and high in iron.
Pea protein powder is made from yellow split peas (Pisum sativum). The pea is harvested, and the outer shell is removed. The peas are then dried and ground into flour. The flour then goes through a water-based filtration process where starch and fiber are removed, thus concentrating the protein content. When the protein content has increased to the desired level (usually between 80-85%), the product is dried into a powder.
Peas are incredibly sustainable. They are planted as a “rotational” crop, which is used to help replenish nutrients back into soil enabling other crops to grow more efficiently. By removing nitrogen-based greenhouse gases from the air into converting it into the soil, peas reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers for future crops. Additionally, peas require far less water, energy, and land to be able to grow, especially compared to soy.
Unlike soy protein, pea protein does not contain the controversial isoflavones. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens (phyto=plant). The “estrogen” part of the name comes into play since the structure of it is very similar to the human-produced estrogen. When consumed, these isoflavones bind to estrogen receptors in the body, weakly mimicking some of the effects of the human-produced estrogen. Soy protein has come into fire due to its high isoflavone content, but peas have little to no isoflavone content.
One of the most effective ways to evaluate the dietary value of a protein is based on their amino acid profile. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and can be divided into essential (need to be consumed in the diet) or nonessential (can be produced by the body and consumed in the diet). Consuming protein sources that contain all essential amino acids in effective amounts is critical to a healthy functioning body. Pea protein contains all essential amino acids but does not have a complete amino acid profile. It is slightly deficient in methionine and cysteine; which the body uses as an antioxidant; and in hair growth; and building and maintaining muscle. Typically, products will combine pea protein with another protein source (like rice protein) to be able to create a complete amino acid profile. Those products that do not will often lack a daily value percentage in the nutrition (or supplement) facts panel.
Products that contain pea protein usually have a very distinctive taste. This taste is characterized as green, vegetative, chalky, playdough, savory and gritty/chalky in texture. In plant-based meats (where pea protein is commonly used), these characteristics can be used to its advantage. For plant-based beverages, these characteristics make it extremely difficult to create a beverage that tastes just as good as its sustainability story. To combat this, brands like Ripple use proprietary extraction technologies on the peas to be able to strip away those less than desirable sensory (taste) characteristics to make their beverages more palatable.
Do you eat or drink any products that contain pea protein? If so, why?