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Not all Protein is Created Equal

Not all Protein is Created Equal

How the Amino Acid Profile of a Protein Affects our Long-Term Health

In recent years, there has been a focus on comparing the quality of proteins based on whether they are complete or incomplete.  This is an argument that vegans often face when discussing plant-based protein and vegan nutrition. However, the quality of a protein should not rely simply on how many or which amino acids it contains. Instead, quality depends on the overall health effects of such amino acids.  According to recent studies, there’s one amino acid that could pose a threat to our longevity (1). While protein is necessary for health and fitness, it’s important to know how much is needed and what sources are best for long-term health. The more information we are faced with, the harder it is to know what kind of protein to shop for. Today, I am going to help you scratch some items off the list.

non-vegan-grocery-receipt
Shopping for healthy groceries has never been harder than it is now in 2024.

What is Methionine and What does it Do?

It is widely known that the human body needs 20 amino acids (the building blocks of protein), nine of which are considered essential and need to be obtained through diet. A “complete” protein would be one that contains all nine essential amino acids; this includes phenylalanine, valine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, leucine, and lysine. The protein profile of food is generalized to total protein content and much less often to amino acid content. What we rarely hear about is how much of each amino acid we need and how to obtain each one.

Methionine, an essential amino acid, has been studied over the years for its effect on chronic disease development and longevity. Specifically, a low methionine diet has been associated with a longer lifespan (1). The reason for this is that methionine may induce oxidative stress, which can negatively impact aging and metabolic processes, leading to problems like obesity and diabetes (1). Interestingly, the types of foods that typically contain high levels of methionine have been associated with chronic disease in multiple other studies. As a plant-based nutritionist, I am particularly interested when finding a connection between plant-based nutrition and longevity.

Plant-Based Protein vs Animal-Based Protein

According to this nutrient search tool, foods highest in methionine are primarily animal-based foods, including chicken, turkey, lamb, steak, pork, tuna, and other fish. The highest plant-based source of methionine is firm tofu, ranking 154th on the list (2). Perhaps, the issue is not methionine itself but the “antinutrients” contained in animal products that associate methionine to chronic disease and premature death. Meat, poultry, and fish products contain cholesterol and saturated fats, whereas plant-based foods are cholesterol-free and tend to be low in saturated fats.

firm-tofu-plant-based-protein-methionine
Firm Tofu, the highest plant-based source of methionine (2), Tofu is a complete plant-based protein source for vegans, as it contains all of the essential amino acids.

It is true that, in most cases, animal-based foods contain more protein than plant-based foods, and it is much easier to obtain protein by eating meat, poultry, and fish. The real question is, does higher protein necessarily mean higher quality? All in all, it seems that animal-based products are a higher risk for disease development. The more time I spend analyzing research findings, the more I find that a balanced plant-based diet is the best diet for longevity.

  1. Kitada, M., Ogura, Y., Monno, I., Xu, J., & Koya, D. (2021). Effect of methionine restriction on aging: Its relationship to oxidative stress. Biomedicines, 9(2), 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9020130
  1. (n.d.). Highest methionine foods. MyFoodData. Retrieved July 31, 2024, from https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrient-ranking-tool/methionine/all/highest/household/common/no
Plant Based Protein | Methionine
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Green Tea for Cancer? See What Nutritional Science Says…

green-tea-for-cancer-mental-health

Green Tea for Cancer? See what Nutritional Science says…

The leading cause of death in America is heart disease, followed by cancer. Cancer affects roughly 1 in 3 Americans in their lifetime. Chances have it, you or someone you know has suffered or is suffering from this horrible disease. It is terrifying for those to have to go through treatment or see their family go through it. While diet and tea is not an alternative to cancer treatment, there are many natural ways to reduce cancer risk and fight off cancer cells through nutrition! Cancer cells silence tumor-suppressing genes, which can effect someone with good genetics. Green tea has been shown to reactivate these genes by simply being dripped on certain cancer cells (1). Over 1.7 MILLION Americans are expected to be diagnosed with cancer this year, and more than a third of those people are expected to die from cancer (2). Every opportunity you get to prevent cancer is another chance to extend your life. It’s amazing that something as simple as a tea plant may have the power to suppress cancer.

Three Ways to Enjoy Green Tea:

Matcha Green Tea
The Whole Food Version of Green Tea

Green Tea:
The Extracts of Green Tea Leaves

Green Tea Capsules:
Take a green tea pill with water and breakfast

Other Green Tea Benefits

Not only can you use green tea topically for benefits, but many studies show benefits on oral consumption of green tea as well!  While water is very important for hydration and my top choice, the next best drink out there is green tea! Why? Because it contains powerful antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, the second leading cause of death in America (3). Green tea also activates the “alpha” brain waves which triggers the relaxation feeling people get from meditating (4). With all the stress we have to deal with on a daily basis, this is a great way to wind down – especially if you are dealing with the stress of cancer!

There are known side effects to green tea, since it contains caffeine. Ease into it with half a cup or one cup then gradually build up to more cups per day to avoid getting dehydrated or headaches. Try all the little things, and incorporate green tea into your daily routine! Regular intake of green tea can slow cancer growth, and the more cups of tea per day is associated with delayed onset of cancer (by up to 7 years for women and up to 3 years for men) in patients who do have cancer (5).

Following a plant-based diet for weight loss can be enhanced with a daily dose or two of green tea. Stay healthy and fit too with these green tea benefits.

Sources:

  1. Greger, Dr. Michael. “How Not to Die.” p10 of Introduction. Copyright 2015. e-ISBN 9781250066121.
  2.  National Cancer Institute. “Cancer Statistics.” Updated April 27, 2018. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics Accessed 8/27/18.
  3. “Consumption of green tea causes rapid increase in plasma antioxidant power in humans.” I. F. Benzie, Y. T. Szeto, J. J. Strain, B. Tomlinson. Nutr Cancer. 1999; 34(1): 83-87. doi: 10.1207/S15327914NC340112. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10453446.  Accessed 8/27/18.
  4. Effects of green and black tea consumption on brain wave activities in healthy volunteers as measured by a simplified Electroencephalogram (EEG): A feasibility study. Edward J. Okello, Awatf M. Abadi, Saad A. Abadi. Nutr Neurosci. 2016 Jun; 19(5): 196–205. Published online 2015 Feb 25. doi: 10.1179/1476830515Y.0000000008. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25714035.   Accessed 8/27/18.
  5. Greger, Dr Michael. “Can Green Tea Help Prevent Cancer?” Nutritionfacts.org. volume 35. Published March 3rd, 2017. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/can-green-tea-help-prevent-cancer/. Accessed 8/22/18.

Kelly Athletics | Author: Kelly Gibson | Holistic Nutritionist | Holistic Nutrition and Fitness | Herbal Remedies | Nutritionist Chandler AZ | Nutritionist Tempe AZ | Nutritionist Phoenix AZ | Nutritionist Arizona | Vegan Nutritionist | Plant Based Nutritionist | Plant-Based Nutritionist | Vegan Supplements | Plant-Based Supplements | Green Tea Supplements | High-Quality Green Tea | Natural Remedies

*Disclaimer: This blog is not to be taken as medical advice. Please see a physician or health practitioner prior to making any changes to your diet, medication, or treatment plan. View our Terms.

Green Tea for Cancer | Kelly Gibson | Holistic Nutritionist | Nutritionist Chandler AZ | Holistic Nutritionist in Chandler