When proteins are eaten, they are converted into amino acids during the digestive process. The body then uses these amino acids as a source of energy and to help the body break down food, support the immune system, repair body tissue, build muscle, maintain healthy bones, hair, skin and nails.
Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body. As a result, they must come from food. Some foods provide more protein (and therefore more amino acids) than others.
The nine essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. The best food sources containing adequate amounts of all essential amino acids are animal proteins such as beef, fish, dairy, poultry and eggs. These proteins are the most easily absorbed and are known as complete proteins as they contain all nine essential amino acids.
Most plant-based foods are lacking in or missing one or more of the essential amino acids. Luckily for vegans and vegetarians there are some plant-based foods that are very close to the animal-based proteins, containing adequate amounts of all nine essential amino acids. These foods include hemp seeds, soy, quinoa, spirulina and buckwheat.
Foods that contain some, but not all the essential amino acids are called incomplete proteins. These foods include nuts, seeds, beans and some grains. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you usually need to include several types of plant proteins in order to ensure you’re consuming enough of all nine essential amino acids.
Nonessential amino acids include alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Our bodies can produce these non-essential amino acids, even if we are not able to obtain them from the food we eat.
The Grainfields fermented liquids and powders are not specifically an amino acid supplement. However, the process of fermentation helps convert proteins into amino acids. So, these products contain the building blocks and good bacteria which help break down the protein found in foods into amino acids. This is why the valuable nutrients they contain are so easy to digest and absorb.
Grainfields products also contain several food-based ingredients which have excellent amino acid properties.
Whey: Grainfields Grains & Greens, Smoothie Base with Ginger and Wholegrain Powder all contain whey protein derived from dairy milk as an ingredient. Whey features the highest biological value of any protein, being readily absorbed and containing all 9 essential amino acids.
Organic Pea Protein: The organic pea protein used in Grainfields Organic Protein Powder and Grainfields Protein Bars is also a good plant-based source of protein and amino acids. Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids, but only low levels of methionine and cysteine.
Organic Hemp: Hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids, so you can’t go past our Organic Hemp Seed Sprinkle which is simply fermented crushed organic hemp seeds with organic honey. There is also the Organic Hemp Powder and Hemp Crunch Bars.
Organic Spirulina: Spirulina is not quite a complete protein as it only has low levels of threonine, methionine, and lysine, but the amino acid profile is still quite impressive, especially if it is combined with other foods which are rich in amino acids. Grainfields products containing spirulina include Liquid Spirulina, Grains and Greens, Organic Phytofood and Organic Super Greens + Dunaliella Salina.
Organic grains, seeds and legumes: Buckwheat, quinoa, oats, wheat, chick peas, lentils, millet and rice are also a good source of amino acids.
Finally, including some Grainfields fermented liquids as a beverage at mealtimes will aid digestion, helping to convert high protein foods into amino acids so that we can absorb and use the nutrients we need.
Sources:
Cleveland Clinic. Functional Properties of Microorganisms in Fermented Foods –Jyoti P. Tamang, Dong Hwa Shin, Su-Jin Jung, Soo Wan Chae Front. Microbiol., 26 April 2016 Sec. Food Microbiology Volume 7 – 2016
