Why women should increase their intake of plant-based protein

Protein plays an important role in the health of our immune system, hormones, skin and muscle mass. Dietary protein is particularly important for women around menopause to support bone health, muscle mass and body strength, and plant-based protein specifically is rich in dietary fibre and has been found to lower cholesterol – another plus point for women who have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease post menopause.

Reasons to include more plant-based protein in your diet:

Many plant-based proteins contain soluble fibre that is great for your gut. This type of fibre remains intact until it reaches your gut where the healthy bacteria there can feed off it. 

Many also contain phytosterols. Plant sterols to compete with cholesterol for absorption in the digestive system, which can help lower cholesterol levels in the body. A study published by The Journal of the American Heart Association found that eating just one or two servings of plant-based proteins in place of animal-based proteins a day can help to reduce cholesterol. If you’re someone who is thinking about trying to get more plants into your diet then this is a simple swap to make.

Plus, plant-based foods are generally considered better for the environment with lower requirements for water, land and energy - there are many benefits associated with eating more plants!

When considering plant-based protein it’s good to think about a variety of different sources. Typically, plant-based proteins contain less protein per 100g that fish or animal equivalents and only a few contain the complete profile of amino acids, for more information about this, read this article on what you should understand about dietary protein.

It’s a good idea to combine plant proteins to make sure you are getting the full 9 essential amino acids and to benefit from a diverse range of other nutrients on offer from these foods.

For some ideas on which plant foods are good sources of protein check out this post I shared recently on Instagram.

Want to understand more about dietary protein? Read this short article here. 

Want to improve your relationship with food for health and well-being? Come and join me on The Non-Diet Method.