All proteins from milk match deliver the nine essential amino acid nutrients that match human requirements, making proteins from milk complete proteins, and often called the highest protein quality.
Many plant-based proteins only deliver some of these necessary nutrients, making them incomplete proteins. Also, anti-nutrient factors may be naturally present in some sources of plant-based protein (phytates in soy, for example), which may further decrease their protein quality for humans.
Protein is a game of quality and quantity. You may be getting the right number of grams of protein per meal or day, but if you’re not consuming proteins from milk, you may be missing out on real results like leaner body mass, sustained energy, and more muscle strength.
Even whey and plant protein combination blends have been found to be less effective than whey alone for muscle protein synthesis, for example. This has been shown to be true when tested with both pea and wheat proteins, even when given at a higher dose than whey proteins.1 2 Make sure you’re getting the most out of your protein by checking your ingredient labels for proteins from milk.
You may know that your body needs amino acids, but did you know it needs them in a certain ratio? Proteins from milk deliver all nine essential amino acids, in just the right ratio, along with a unique combination of bioactive peptides (some which have a role in lowering your blood pressure) and minor proteins that have natural antibacterial properties (to boost your immune health). That’s why proteins from milk are unbeatable when it comes to delivering the strong inside your body.
1 Phillips, S. 2017. Current Concepts and Unresolved Questions in Dietary Protein Requirements and Supplements in Adults. Frontiers in Nutrition (4):13.
2 Mathia, JK, et al. 2017 Values for digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) for some dairy and plant proteins may better describe protein quality than values calculated using the concept for protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores (PDCCAS). Br J Nutri 117:490-499.
