[article] Protein is important for your body’s growth, no doubt there! It not only nurtures your bones, cartilage and blood but is also essential for tissue growth and repair. It plays an even more important role for athletes and people who exercise. This is because when you exercise, you end up intentionally breaking down muscle and the protein helps in repairing and building it back up!

While there are many foods like lean meats, whole grains, eggs, and so on which act as great sources of protein, there is a recent buzz around protein powders which can act as supplements and fulfil your body’s protein needs.

On top of it, there is a lot of confusion around which protein type is good for your body - plant based or whey based?

Before reaching to any conclusion, let’s try to understand - what are plant proteins and whey proteins:- 

Whey basically refers to the liquid part of the milk that gets separated during the production of cheese. This by-product was considered as waste until bodybuilders and dairy marketers realized that it was high in protein.
Now they separate whey, heat it, microfilter it, pasteurize it and dry it and then add sweeteners and preservatives to make what we call protein powder.

Plant Protein on the other hand is just what it sounds like - protein derived from plants. They require little-to-no-processing. Most of the plant based proteins have similar ingredients like seeds, rice, hemo and peas.

Now, let’s compare them both on two most important parameters: 

1. Nutritional value

   The whole logic behind including protein powders to your diet is to gain vital nutrients for their growth. They act as building blocks of any good workout plan.
   
   Typically, whey protein and plant protein contain similar amounts of proteins. However, whey protein also contains all the nine essential amino acids. But if you are looking for a protein powder that does not contain any artificial sweeteners and additives, you might struggle with finding whey proteins.

   But here’s a suggestion, you can count on andMe’s whey protein powder as they contain no preservatives, sugar or artificial colors. They are made up of all things love and natural, that will fulfill the needs of your body. It is one of the best whey proteins for women as it helps in regulating menstrual cycles and maintaining hormonal balance!
   

   

   Speaking of plant proteins, their nutritional value is actually dependent on what they are made from. Many of the key ingredients like contain all the essential vitamins, nutrients, omega3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

   One thing that you need to keep in mind regarding plant proteins is that sometimes they are high in carbohydrate content.

   So, if weight loss is your end goal, those additional carbs will not help you in achieving your goals.
   
   

2. Digestion

   This is probably one of the biggest factors that differentiate plant-based proteins from whey protein powders.
   
   Since whey protein is derived from milk, it can cause complications for people who have a sensitivity or intolerance towards dairy products. Lactose intolerant people can experience bloating, gas or any other digestive issue after consuming whey protein.
   
   

   

   If you are looking for something easy to digest, go for plant proteins. Bottom line is, you need to factor in your health goals and bodies while choosing between whey protein and plant proteins. Both of them can act as great supplements for your body!

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