Does Your Body Absorb Vegan Protein Powder?

The most crucial part of finding a vegan protein powder is choosing one that is high-quality. The protein powder you choose should be pharmaceutical-grade, non-GMO, and made without added gums, emulsifiers, or sugar alcohols. It should also be sourced from high-quality and/or organic farms, and third-party tested. Before you choose a vegan protein powder, you should know what to look for in a product and how it affects your body.

Does Vegan Protein Powder Get Absorbed?

Compared to animal-based protein, vegan protein powder has a slightly slower absorption rate, but is still perfectly absorbed by the body. There are a few steps to protein absorption:

Chewing - saliva contains proteolytic enzymes that help break proteins down into smaller parts, so as you chew, saliva begins digesting the protein.
Stomach - once you swallow protein, the gastric fluid in your stomach further breaks it down.
Small intestine - after it goes through your stomach, protein reaches the small intestine where your pancreas releases pancreatic enzymes. These enzymes help break protein down into shorter chains and individual amino acids.
Absorption - as your body moves the protein through your small intestine, extra enzymes from your intestinal cells break protein down further. During this process, tiny structures in your intestine help your body absorb the protein into your intestinal bloodstream.
Oxidation/Transportation - from your intestinal bloodstream, the short-chain proteins that were created and the amino acids move to your liver through the portal vein. Once these amino acids are in your liver, some of them are oxidized—meaning they’re used for energy—but only branched-chain amino acids can be oxidized outside your liver. From here, the amino acids are transported and distributed to other parts of your body for different functions.

There are some factors that affect the absorption of vegan protein powder. The type of protein you choose is important (ie, soy, hemp, pea, rice, etc.). Your gut health also plays a role in how well vegan protein powder is absorbed—a healthy gut is able to absorb protein more efficiently.

What Does Vegan Protein Powder Do to Your Body?

Vegan protein powder is just as beneficial as whey protein powder—it can help you build muscle, lose weight, and contribute to your overall health.

Building Muscle

Pea and rice vegan protein powder blends are higher in leucine, which is an essential amino acid that helps your body synthesize protein, regulate your metabolism, and control your appetite. Pea protein is a complete protein—meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids—and is also a great source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs are crucial when it comes to building muscle because they:

Increase muscle growth
Decrease soreness and prevent muscle breakdown from exercise
Improve energy during and after physical activity
Reduce fatigue

Finding a vegan protein powder that is a complete protein and has BCAAs will be the best way to support your body as you build muscle.

Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight, the protein powder you choose should not contain any additives—gums, emulsifiers, sugar alcohols—and should not have added sugar. Added sugar unnecessarily increases calorie intake, spikes your blood sugar, and can increase carb intake. There are some protein powders with over 20 grams of protein per scoop, so finding one like Nourify® PLUS is a great way to ensure you’re getting all the right benefits for your weight loss journey.

Overall Health Benefits

There are many benefits to vegan protein powder. It helps you build muscle, helps you balance meals, is high in iron (Nourify® PLUS chocolate protein powder contains 4.2 mg in just one scoop, which is 23% of your recommended daily value). It is derived from plant sources and boasts about the same amount of protein as whey protein. Long-term, healthy vegan protein powder can improve digestion, help in weight management, boost your metabolism and improve your overall gut health.

How Bioavailable Is Vegan Protein Powder?

Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a substance, drug, or supplement that enters the circulation when introduced to the body and can therefore have an active effect—it is the fraction of the active form of a substance that reaches the body’s circulation unaltered. Bioavailability is important because it impacts the effectiveness of a supplement—one with low bioavailability may not reach therapeutic levels in the body. Bioavailability helps the body absorb more nutrients and maintain overall health—especially for muscles, bones, and skin.

In the case of vegan protein powder, bioavailability is important because it indicates how well the body can absorb and use the protein it’s ingesting. Bioavailability will also impact how well your body absorbs the other nutrients present in a protein powder.

Some whey protein powders may be more bioavailable than vegan protein powders due to their faster digestion rate. However, vegan protein powder—particularly pea protein—is more bioavailable than other sources. It’s important to choose a vegan protein powder that is high in protein and contains multiple plant sources. This increases the variety of amino acids and bioavailability.

Conclusion

Finding a high-quality vegan protein powder is a great way to increase your protein intake, balance your meals, and improve your overall health. Nourify® PLUS is non-GMO, pharmaceutical-grade, and contains protein sourced from high-quality and organic farms in Canada and Southeast Asia. Boasting 10-20+ grams of protein per serving, Nourify® PLUS is packed full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. It also has probiotics and digestive enzymes with each scoop! If you’re looking for a high-quality, tasty vegan protein powder in vanilla or chocolate, grab a bottle of Nourify® PLUS today!