The most popular varieties of protein powder are whey and soy protein, but they're not appropriate choices for everyone. If you have soy allergies, lactose intolerance or are vegan, you may not be able to make use of the mainstream options. One alternative to whey and soy is pea powder, which comes from protein-rich yellow peas.
Uses
You can use pea protein powder in all of the same ways you'd use whey or soy powder: mix a simple protein shake, stir into cereal or blend into smoothies. You have a choice of buying pea protein isolate, which contains the most protein per serving, or pea protein concentrate, which may have other ingredients added. Either form of powder may come plain or flavored in varieties such as chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. One 30-g scoop of pea powder has approximately 130 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates and 28 g protein.
Benefits
Pea protein powder is a plant-based form of protein, which makes it naturally low in fat and cholesterol-free, unlike whey protein powder. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, such forms of protein are essential for building, repairing and maintaining muscle, bone, skin and blood tissue. Adding pea protein powder to your diet will boost your daily protein intake, which may also facilitate weight loss and encourage satiety. "Controlled trials continue to show comparable, if not superior, effects of high-protein diets on weight loss, preservation of lean body mass, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors," write authors of a 2008 article from "Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity."
Limitations
In comparison to other protein powders, pea powder can come up short for several reasons. "When it comes to protein supplementation, whey is king," writes nutritional researcher Jon Barron. "It has an extremely high biological value [a proportion of absorbed protein from food], it's high in amino acids and is quickly absorbed by the human body." Pea protein has a lower BV than whey or soy protein powders and does not naturally offer the complete profile of amino acids that whey protein does.
Considerations
If whey and soy protein aren't options for you and you are interested in pursuing weight loss or gaining muscle mass through a regular supplement, yellow pea protein powder could be helpful. There are no definitive scientific studies linking pea protein powder to positive health or weight loss results, however, so keep that in mind before you buy the supplement, and check with your doctor for approval before making any major changes to your diet.
References
- LIVESTRONG.com MyPlate: Calories in Pea Protein Powder
- ChooseMyPlate.gov; Why Is It Important to Make Lean or Low-Fat Choices from the Protein Foods Group?; May 31, 2011
- "Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity"; Benefits of High-Protein Weight Loss Diets; BJ Brehm; October 2008
- NutriBodyProtein.com; Comparison of Meat, Soy, Whey, Dairy and Vegan Types of Protein; Jon Barron
Member Comments