Well hello!
I’m sure none of you were surprised by today’s subject line. You all know I am a big fan of high quality animal protein.
But I thought worth sharing today’s article as some additional research has come out that furthers my case.
In spite of the global push to consume more plant based “meat” substitutes and alternatives, the evidence clearly states that they are not actually better for us.
The study I am sharing today was done in Sweden.
They measured the nutritional make-up of 44 different “meat” alternatives and found extremely low levels of iron and zinc absorption; two crucial minerals for our health that are already widely deficient in our population.
The reason for the low absorption?
Soy has a high phytate level. Phytate’s naturally grow on plants as a protective outer coating. But when ingested by humans, they are “anti-nutrients” that bind to and inhibit mineral absorption.
I’ll also add – though not included in the study – those substitutes without soy, do contain seed oils like canola, safflower and peanut oils – which we know from the plethora of educating I’ve done on these are harmful to our health – gut, cognitive, hormones – via inflammation.
This is not the only study that suggests that switching to plant-based “meat” alternatives has the potential to dig us into a bigger hole of nutrient deficiencies.
If you’re open to eating high quality animal protein – stick to that.
If you’re practicing plant-based, vegan or vegetarian – I suggest getting your protein from soy-free, seed oil-free sources and supplementing with a good amino acid (like KION or Thorne brands).
As always – my door is open – I’m here for questions!
Sending lots of love!
xoxo
Alix