Not all proteins are equally good to the human’s body. Animal proteins have all the required amino acids because they are the most similar to the ones we have in our body. Such sources of animal proteins as red meat and egg yolks are rich with heme iron and zinc which are better absorbed by the body than the same elements from plant proteins. Moreover, meat contains B12 which cannot be found in plant proteins, and this vitamin has a big influence on healthy functioning of our nervous system. Milk and dairy products supply the organism with nine indispensable amino acids and provide it with leucine which is responsible for muscle tissue synthesis. The disadvantage of animal proteins is the fact that they often have large amounts of cholesterol and fat that may be a cause to obesity and cardiovascular diseases. The best choices for animal-based proteins can be: eggs, cottage cheese, and all kinds of fish. The social issues with animal proteins are connected with prevention of animal exploitation. The environmental issue is the fact that production of diary and meat involves overburdening the environment: animals require crops and water to be fed; factories and transportation is involved to deliver the products to the table.
Plant proteins do not contain cholesterol, but they also lack the most important amino acids. The most complete composition of amino acids is found in soybeans. This plant is rich with glutamine and arginine which are perfect for increasing endurance in sports. Soybean products can be a great alternative to red meat. Nuts are very nutritious sources of plant proteins. They also have less amino acids than the animal protein products, but they are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. The best picks among the animal-based proteins are beans (including soybeans), greenery, and nuts (especially pecan, cashew, almonds and walnuts). The social issue with the plant proteins is the fact that plant foods can be genetically modified. The effects of plant protein consumption on the environment are very positive: in fact, “to produce 1 kg of protein from kidney beans required approximately eighteen times less land, ten times less water, nine times less fuel, twelve times less fertilizer and ten times less pesticide in comparison to producing 1 kg of protein from beef” (Sranacharoenpong 2067-73).
Works Cited
Sranacharoenpong , Kitty, Simon Soret, Helene Harwatt and Mark Wien. The environmental cost of protein food choices. Public health and Nutrition 2015 Aug;18(11):2067-73.
