What's The Best Way To Consume Proteins: Protein-Rich Foods Vs. Protein Shake

Protein is an essential and widely known nutrient. A protein-rich diet is encouraged and advised in various different conditions. Whether you want to build muscles, lose weight, or any other reason. However, what does protein do that makes it so important?

Why do we need protein?

There are various reasons why we need protein in our diets. Here are the top reasons why we require protein daily:

1. Our muscles' primary building material is protein. Hence, consuming enough protein will help us keep our muscle mass and encourage muscular growth when we engage in resistance training.

2. Protein is the component that is most filling, according to studies. With less food, it makes us feel more satiated. The level of the hunger hormone ghrelin is decreased by protein, which contributes to this. Peptide YY, a hormone that helps us feel full, is also increased by it.

3. Protein-rich diets help people maintain their bone mass better as they age and reduce their risk of fractures and osteoporosis. Women, who have a higher than average risk of osteoporosis after menopause, should pay particular attention to this.

4. Cravings can be extremely difficult to suppress. Increasing our protein intake is one of the best preventative strategies. In one research of obese individuals, adding 25% more protein to the diet decreased cravings by 60% and the need to snack at night by 50%.

5. You can temporarily increase your metabolism by eating more protein. It has been demonstrated that eating a lot of protein considerably speeds up metabolism and increases calories burned.

Protein-rich foods or protein shake?

Complete proteins are found in the most well-known sources of protein, such as meat and dairy. They, therefore, offer all amino acids that the body requires to build muscle and promote the growth and repair of tissue. They also contain dietary fibre, antioxidants that fight disease, vitamins, and minerals.

These foods support digestive health and satiety in addition to health advantages including lowering our chance for cancer and heart issues. Additionally, whole meals don't have a long list of potential adverse effects that protein shakes may have, such as gastrointestinal distress, nausea, bloating, headaches, vitamin deficiencies, or adverse drug interactions.

The majority of packaged protein shakes are enriched with many of the vitamins and minerals found in traditional foods and are manufactured from whole proteins like whey or casein. A typical protein shake has 20 to 30 grams of protein per serving, which is equivalent to a whole meal.

However, protein shakes, on the other hand, are unable to offer the same amount of fibre or antioxidants that many protein-rich whole meals, such lentils or quinoa, can. In spite of the fact that shakes are a convenient source of high-quality protein, it is still best to obtain the majority or all of your protein from whole foods.

As discussed above, natural and whole protein-rich foods may be more beneficial than protein shakes. However, unlike protein shakes, preparing protein-rich meals every day can be exhausting. Protein shakes work as a quicker and more convenient way to consume adequate protein.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.