Organic and Vegan Protein

Nutritional values

Per 100 g (AR *)

• Energy: 388 kcal (20%) / 1621 kJ (20%)
• Fat: 8.2 g (12%)
  - of which saturated fatty acids: 2.8 g (15%)
  - of which polyunsaturated fatty acids: 3 g
• Protein: 60 g (120%)
  - of which BCAA (1): 10.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g (10%)
  - of which Sugars: 12 g
  - of which Dietary fiber: 13 g
• Salt (2): 1.5 g
• Vitamin B12: 10 μg

* Reference intake for a typical adult: 8400 kJ / 2000 kcal
(1) Branched chain amino acids
(2) Content exclusively due to its natural presence

Ingredients: Vegetable protein mix * 76% (including: Pea protein isolate * 72.3%; Brown rice protein isolate * 14.6%; Pumpkin seed powder * 6.6%; Partially defatted seed powder chia (Benexia®) * 6.6%); Cane sugar*; Cocoa powder * 8%; Natural cocoa flavors; Partially hydrolyzed guar gum fibers *; Acacia gum fibers *; Preparation based on shiitake dosed with vitamin B12 *.

* Ingredients from organic farming (> 95%)

In its article "The roots of sustainable food: when plant proteins come to the table", the INRAE ​​(National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment) brilliantly explains the challenges of sustainable access to proteins for a population of 7 billion human beings:

"... both for the preservation of the environment and for our health, a change in eating habits is necessary. We must adopt diets richer in fiber, less fat and less salty and which in particular rebalance the proportion of products from animal origin such as meat with proteins of vegetable origin, such as cereals or legumes "[1].

With growing global protein needs, how can we make plant protein accessible as a substitute for animal protein?

Protein: a crucial nutrient

Protein falls under the macronutrient category along with carbohydrates and fats. They therefore contribute to our caloric and energy intake. They are made up of a more or less long chain of structural units called amino acids. A large number of amino acids exist, but only 20 are used by the body to make two types of proteins essential for the body:

• structural proteins: muscle tissue, integuments (nails, hair) and skin (actin, myosin, collagen, keratin),
• proteins involved in physiological processes: enzymes and hormones in particular.

Among these 20 amino acids, 9 cannot be synthesized by our organism, and they are therefore called "essential": leucine, threonine, lysine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, valine, methionine, isoleucine and histidine. Some of these amino acids are particularly involved in muscle protein synthesis and are referred to as BCAAs (Branched Chain Amino Acids), which includes leucine, isoleucine and valine [2-4].

What protein need in humans?

The nutritional reference value for protein in healthy adults (RNP), established by ANSES, is 0.83 g per kilogram of body weight per day. For a 70 kg individual, this corresponds to a daily intake of 58 g. To get an idea of ​​what this represents, the table below shows some protein concentrations in common foods.
Overall this value must correspond to at least 10% of our energy intake [5]. These values ​​are of course likely to increase depending on the level of physical activity and especially sports [6].

Sources of protein and changing diets

While traditionally in the West "protein" rhymes with meat, fish and egg, today vegetable protein sources are shaking up our diet. The scientific interest in vegan proteins continues to grow with an explosion of publications about them, both nutritionally (health) and the environment.

The data provided by "Our world in data" (meat and dairy products production [7]) show an increase in consumption (kg / inhabitant / year) of meat at the world level between 1961 (start of the analysis) and 2013 (end of analysis). In France more specifically, this increase has nevertheless stabilized over the past ten years (end of analysis in 2017).

Could this observation reflect changes in eating behavior with respect to meat? The consumption of vegan proteins as a substitute for animal proteins can result from several reasons, ranging from ethical to health interest [8,9].

Regarding the ethical dimension, without fueling the veganism / veganism debate, we will mainly discuss the idea of ​​supporting this dietary transition by promoting the diversification of protein sources with plant alternatives to more reasoned and more sustainable agricultural methods.

The "new" diets favoring plants in developed countries

If in certain cultures essentially vegetable diets have always existed, for us Westerners, their appearance is a more modern practice. What are the main types of "plant" diets?

• Flexitarian diets: quasi-vegetarian, they aim to make occasional consumption of meat and fish.
• Vegetarian diets among which we distinguish:
  - Pesco-ovo-lacto-vegetarians: exclusion of meat
  - Ovo-lacto-vegetarians: exclusion of meat and fish,
  - Lacto-vegetarians: exclusion of meat, fish and eggs,
  - Exclusive vegetarians: exclusion of all animal products (very close to veganism).
• Vegan diets: exclusion of all animal products and those requiring the intervention of animals. The term veganism (or "integral veganism") means the exclusion of all products of animal origin, including those outside the food field. However, the term vegan is very often used, due to its English-speaking origin, for veganism.

Proteins and environmental impact

Under their fashion, proteins of plant origin are gaining a much better environmental reputation than proteins of animal origin. Let's talk about greenhouse gas emissions, for example. In the food industry, these emissions depend on the practices observed throughout the production chain (preparation of agricultural land and farms, feed for livestock, production process, transport, methods of preserving the materials produced, packaging used). The data provided by "Our world in data" (environmental impact of food products [10]) indicate that plant-based products produce 10 to 50 times less kg of CO2 equivalents per kg of product. For example, pea production has a value of 0.9 compared to raising beef with a value of 60 kilograms of CO2 equivalents per kilogram. If we take a closer look at protein, 100 g of pea protein simply emits 0.4 kg of CO2 equivalents. This value is 90 times higher for 100 g of beef protein. In addition, there are other important parameters such as the notion of resource depletion linked to the challenge of feeding a growing world population. As the surface areas and the need for natural resources are less important for plants, their by-products are positioned as an asset for the food of our future.

Protein and health

The health aspect is particularly relevant to the nutritional compounds associated with the different protein sources. Meats, eggs and dairy products (especially cheese) contain types of fat (lipids) such as saturated fat and cholesterol that should not be consumed more than the recommended weekly servings. On the other hand, vegetable sources: legumes (soybeans, lentils, peas, etc.) and cereals (rye, rice, corn, etc.) contain good fiber and very little fat (and not “bad” ones). Published data on the subject suggest a positive correlation between diets containing vegetable protein sources (by replacement in diets rich in animal protein) and long-term health [11-13]. However, these observations must always be qualified because they must take into account the entire diet and all the associated nutrients.

Protein powder: allies of athletes

Being necessary for the formation (anabolism) of body muscle mass, proteins generally constitute a central element in the diet of athletes. The image of protein powders has long been associated with intense and / or rapid muscle-building activities. This consumption is also of interest to any type of athlete simply wishing to improve his performance. On the market, protein powders mainly consist of milk proteins: casein or whey (whey, whey). These are very well assimilated by the body and effectively increase the level of ingested proteins available for muscle anabolism.

To date, plant alternatives to protein powder of animal origin are developing, leading to questions, especially among athletes, about their equivalence or not with milk proteins and their real nutritional value. In addition, in addition to the desire to diversify our diet, opting for vegetable proteins can resolve the inconveniences sometimes observed with a high consumption of whey (milk proteins) such as digestive disorders due to the presence of lactose.

So-called "limiting" proteins and amino acids

Above, we mentioned these essential amino acids that our body cannot manufacture. We must therefore find them in our diet or supplementation for athletes. While protein of animal origin contains all the essential amino acids in sufficient quantities, this is not the case with vegetable proteins, which are less "complete" in certain essential amino acids. These amino acids in lower content are said to be “limiting”. For vegetable proteins, we observe that:

• Legume proteins are deficient in so-called "sulfur" essential amino acids (methionine and cysteine),
• Cereal proteins are deficient in lysine.

Two other concepts also make it possible to compare animal and vegetable proteins [14]:

• The chemical index: which compares the composition and amino acid content of a given protein to that of a reference protein at the optimum composition.
  
  For example, to determine this chemical index for pea protein, it is necessary to calculate for each essential amino acid of this protein the following ratio: "amount of the amino acid" of the pea protein / "amount of the amino acid "in the reference protein
  
  This ratio can be:
  - Less than 100: this means that the amino acid in the protein of interest is in lower quantity compared to its content in the reference protein.
  - Greater than 100: this means that the amino acid in the protein of interest is in a greater quantity versus its content in the reference protein.

  Once the ratios of each amino acid have been calculated, the chemical index of the protein corresponds to the lowest amino acid ratio, which is referred to as "limiting amino acid". For pea protein, the limiting amino acid is methionine, and its chemical index is 90.

• The PDCAAS ("Protein digestibility corrected amino acid score"): it corresponds to the chemical index multiplied by the digestibility index of the protein of interest (that of the pea in our example). It therefore goes a little further than the chemical index since it incorporates a notion of digestibility. The latter is obtained by a physiological measurement (fecal digestibility).
  
  This score is also based on a reference (such as the chemical index) and it is also indexed on an "ideal" score of 100. Note that the PDCAAS is valid for a specific food or protein, and not for mixtures. protein (unless fecal digestibility measurements are taken).
  
  PDCAAS can be:
  - Less than 100: which reflects poor digestibility compared to the reference protein.
  - Greater than 100: which indicates good digestibility comparable to that of the reference protein.

In conclusion, the chemical index is more of a way to characterize the profile of the protein, especially the amino acids it contains. PDCAAS is an index, with a physiological dimension, which takes into account the properties of the protein as food.

These two data highlight the main differences between animal and plant proteins:

• Animal proteins generally have a higher chemical index than vegetable proteins, reflecting a naturally more balanced amino acid profile. Plant proteins generally have one or more limiting amino acids.
• Their PDCAAS is also superior to that of vegetable proteins, reflecting their better digestibility.

Thus, it appears that a diet composed mainly of animal protein sources (meat, fish, eggs and cheese) incurs little risk of deficiency in essential amino acids, while most vegetable sources alone are not sufficient to cover the requirements for essential amino acids.

So how do you replace animal protein with vegetable protein without running the risk of running out of essential amino acids?

A mix that plays the card of complementarity with an optimized aminogram

Consuming plant protein in the same meal or a diet exclusively made up of plant proteins requires adopting a complementarity strategy. This requires the association on our plate of several complementary plant sources to bring together all the essential amino acids and ensure good digestibility and assimilation [15]. Our Vegetable and Organic Protein brings together 4 protein sources (peas, rice, pumpkin seeds and chia) having to offer an optimal protein which has a complete aminogram (chemical index at 130).

These calculations show that thanks to the use of 4 complementary protein sources, the generally limiting amino acids (at the lowest levels in the aminogram) in vegetable proteins (lysine, methionine and cysteine) are no longer in our Vegetable Protein. and Bio Nutri & Co (values ​​greater than 100 in the reference calculation 2).

Note that the important thing is not to have an always higher chemical index, but rather that it is greater than or equal to 100, thus reflecting the balance of the protein compared to the optimal reference.

A formula with a complete nutritional approach

Our Vegetable and Organic Protein has been designed to combine optimal nutritional balance and taste pleasure. With its 60% protein content and an optimal amino acid profile, our mix guarantees:

• An intake of 2.6 g / serving of BCAA amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine).
• An intake of 3.3 g / portion of dietary fiber. These natural fibers added to our mix of vegetable proteins allow a significant contribution of fibers which are sorely lacking in our diet (INCA III and NutriNet Santé studies) and which are not present in animal sources of protein. These fibers also allow the tasty texture of our mix.
• An addition of vitamin B12 up to 100% of the recommended intakes: vitamin B12 is essential for cell reproduction and good health of the nervous system. It should be noted that vitamin B12 is mainly present in animal products [16].
• Low in sugars: the recommendation on limiting added sugars in food is no secret when it comes to public health.

Each serving (25g) of our protein provides only 3g of sugar.

Finally, our powder mix is ​​both an organic and vegan protein and above all does not contain any sweetener.

The taste challenge

Proteins of plant origin are still little consumed and their taste may seem unusual, especially for lovers of milk / whey protein with “milkshake” type flavors flavored with chocolate or vanilla. In general, there are various types of vegetable protein powder on the market:

• Those rich in certain vegetable proteins whose taste is too "characteristic" (bad balance, incomplete aminogram),
• The bis-rich in certain vegetable proteins whose texture is too viscous or, on the contrary, too grainy (poor balance),
• The very sweet ones by the presence of sweeteners (which try to find the taste of whey / casein powders),
• Flavored them with chemical aromas.

Formulating a tastefully appreciable vegan protein based solely on vegetable proteins is therefore a real challenge. This is why, at Nutri & Co, we have opted for a composition from 4 specific sources. Although pea and rice proteins are conventionally used (for their protein complementarity; see section on limiting amino acids), the addition of pumpkin seed and chia seed proteins is absolutely new! These two proteins made it possible to obtain a good protein taste and a balanced texture. The presence of cocoa powder and natural cocoa aromas are part of this natural approach by preserving a low sugar level in the final formula, without however using sweeteners.

Publications

1. INRAE Dossier de PRESSE : Les Racines d’une Alimentation Durable : Quand Les Protéines Végétales s’invitent à Table; 2020; p. 28.
2. Wolfe, R.R. Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Muscle Protein Synthesis in Humans: Myth or Reality? J. Int. Soc. Sports Nutr. 2017, 14, 30, doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0184-9.
3. Santos, C. de S.; Nascimento, F.E.L. Isolated Branched-Chain Amino Acid Intake and Muscle Protein Synthesis in Humans: A Biochemical Review. Einstein 2019, 17, 1–5, doi:10.31744/einstein_journal/2019RB4898.
4. Morse, T.; Willoughby, D.S. Efficacy of BCAA Supplementation for Exercise Performance and Recovery: A Narrative Review. J Nutr Health Food Eng 2019, 9, 128–133, doi:10.15406/jnhfe.2019.09.00337.
5. ANSES Actualisation Des Repères Du PNNS : Élaboration Des Références Nutritionnelles; 2016; p. 196.
6. CERIN Besoin En Protéines Des Sportifs (Aspects Quantitatif et Qualitatif) Available online: https://www.cerin.org/actualites/besoin-en-proteines-des-sportifs-aspects-quantitatif-et-qualitatif/.
7. Ritchie, H.; Roser, M. Our World in Data : Meat and Dairy Production; 2019.
8. Mariotti, F. Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention; Elsevier, 2017; ISBN 978-0-12-803968-7.
9. Medawar, E.; Huhn, S.; Villringer, A.; Veronica Witte, A. The Effects of Plant-Based Diets on the Body and the Brain: A Systematic Review. Transl. Psychiatry 2019, 9, 226, doi:10.1038/s41398-019-0552-0.
10. Ritchie, H.; Roser, M. Our World in Data : Environmental Impacts of Food Production; 2020.
11. Richter, C.K.; Skulas-Ray, A.C.; Champagne, C.M.; Kris-Etherton, P.M. Plant Protein and Animal Proteins: Do They Differentially Affect Cardiovascular Disease Risk? Adv. Nutr. 2015, 6, 712–728, doi:10.3945/an.115.009654.
12. Chalvon-Demersay, T.; Azzout-Marniche, D.; Arfsten, J.; Egli, L.; Gaudichon, C.; Karagounis, L.G.; Tomé, D. A Systematic Review of the Effects of Plant Compared with Animal Protein Sources on Features of Metabolic Syndrome. J. Nutr. 2017, jn239574, doi:10.3945/jn.116.239574.
13. Clark, M.A.; Springmann, M.; Hill, J.; Tilman, D. Multiple Health and Environmental Impacts of Foods. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2019, 116, 23357–23362, doi:10.1073/pnas.1906908116.
14. AFSSA Apport en protéines : consommation, qualité, besoins et recommandations; 2007; p. 461;.
15. Berrazaga, I.; Micard, V.; Gueugneau, M.; Walrand, S. The Role of the Anabolic Properties of Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Sources in Supporting Muscle Mass Maintenance: A Critical Review. Nutrients 2019, 11, 1825, doi:10.3390/nu11081825.
16. Obeid, R.; Heil, S.G.; Verhoeven, M.M.A.; van den Heuvel, E.G.H.M.; de Groot, L.C.P.G.M.; Eussen, S.J.P.M. Vitamin B12 Intake From Animal Foods, Biomarkers, and Health Aspects. Front. Nutr. 2019, 6, 93, doi:10.3389/fnut.2019.00093.