Should you eat plant-based protein or animal protein?

Protein makes up about 20% of the body. Humans cannot synthesize it themselves and rely entirely on it from food.

A balanced diet, including both animal and plant-based proteins, is recommended to complement each other and reduce the risk of disease. - Photo: TTD

Meat and fish are animal-based foods, while legumes are plant-based foods that provide a lot of protein to the human body. Many nutritionists and home cooks still wonder: Is animal protein or plant-based protein better for humans? Which should be prioritized: red meat or white meat?

Meat contains complete protein, but it also carries many risks.

All types of meat contain "meat pigment" (myoglobin). The reddish-pink color of meat varies in intensity depending on the myoglobin content.

Red meats are those with a high concentration of myoglobin, while white meats have a lower concentration. Beef contains 1-2% myoglobin, pork contains 0.1-0.3% (classified as red meat), and poultry (chicken, duck) contains only about 0.05% myoglobin, making it white meat.

Both red and white meat are excellent sources of protein for humans. Animal protein, in addition to containing all the essential amino acids, also provides other nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, DHA, other omega-3 fatty acids, heme iron, and zinc.

However, there are also many risks associated with eating too much meat because each piece of meat usually contains a high amount of animal fat.

These types of fats often contain high levels of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, stroke, etc. Red meat is also rich in Neu5Gc sugar – a type of sugar that promotes inflammation and cancer progression in rodents.

Numerous statistical studies have shown a positive association between red meat consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Furthermore, cooking meat at high temperatures, such as frying, also produces heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can cause cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer.

Fish is an easily digestible source of animal protein and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Fish is also an important source of animal protein for humans. Unlike animal meats such as beef, pork, and poultry, which often contain a lot of fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol, which are not good for health, fish contains unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and D, which are essential for the body to fight free radicals and oxidative stress.

When eating fish, especially large fish found far offshore such as tuna, shark, swordfish, mackerel, whale, etc., one should be wary of heavy metal contamination.

Plant protein is incomplete but beneficial.

Many plant-based foods contain protein, especially legumes like soybeans and peanuts, which contain even more protein than meat and fish. Even rice and vegetables contain a small amount of protein.

The biggest drawback of plant protein is that it often lacks a complete range of amino acids compared to animal protein. Nutritionists classify plant protein as "incomplete" protein and it also lacks vitamins such as B12 and D. However, legumes, in addition to plant protein, contain many types of oils with unsaturated fatty acids.

Thanks to these unsaturated fatty acids, plant-based protein-rich foods offer many health benefits such as: weight loss, reduced blood cholesterol, reduced cardiovascular disease, and reduced diabetes rates...

According to Tuoitre.