Plant Protein Sources -- Spirulina

In the past, plant protein powder formulas haven't been the greatest. They were filled with lots of fiber and incomplete proteins. But these days, with Spirulina and other plant sources being shown as richer protein sources than even their animal protein counterparts, plant protein powders are getting another look in the microscope. Not only that, but because of the fact that the vegetarian and vegan movements have grown so large, there is a much higher demand for rich protein powder sources that are plant based. Though the 90s and 00s were all about whey protein, the years to come should see a huge uprising of other kinds of proteins.

Plant protein powders have always had one huge drawback, they're usually incomplete proteins. What does that mean anyway, and incomplete protein? Basically, for a protein to be condidered complete, it needs to contain all of the amino acids that the human body needs. There are 22 of them in all, and most meat sources contain all of them. Of the 22 amino acids, 8 are called essential amino acids because the body can't produce them on its own. The other 14 the body can synthesize on its own. So those 8 are especially important. This is why plant protein sources have had a hard time getting started, because most plant sources of protein aren't complete. They don't contain all of the different amino acids used by the body for daily function. That's why a huge push has been enacted to find plant sources that are complete protein sources and can easily be turned into a protein powder. There are at least a few popular brands that have come out with plant protein powders that are complete proteins.

One such powder, which isn't generally marketed as a protein powder, is Spirulina. Spirulina is an algae that's not only a complete protein, it has more protein than any meat source. That's pretty incredible. Since this discovery, Spirulina algae has seen an explosion in production and availability. Though there's still a stigma against plant protein powder sources, there's starting to be a wide acceptance of them because of their nutritional value. Something like Spirulina not only has lots and lots of protein, it also have a wide variety of other nutrients, vitamins, and trace minerals that are difficult to find through our normal food sources. This gives Spirulina huge value in modern society. Not only do you get a rich protein source, which is very good for vegans and vegetarians, you're also getting a wide variety of the nutrients the body needs for healthy, daily function. That's not something you're going to ever find from an animal protein powder. For these reasons and more is why I believe that plant protein powder formulas are going to see a huge gain in popularity and availability in future years. They may not ever really appeal to bodybuilders and weightlifters, but for the rest of us who need quality sources of protein minus the fats and grease, plant protein sources are a great way to go.


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Plant protein powders not only offer rich sources of protein, they offer a wide variety of other rare and valuable nutrients to the human body. Spirulina powder is not only the richest source of protein in the world, it's also a superfood, with over 100 other nutrients vital to the human body.