It’s typically used to increase the protein content of smoothies and shakes and is a great fit for almost any diet since it’s naturally vegan and hypoallergenic.
Pea protein is a high-quality protein and a great source of iron. It can aid muscle growth, weight loss and heart health.
Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids that your body cannot create and must get from food. However, it’s relatively low in methionine.
You can compensate for this by including other methionine-rich foods, like eggs, fish, poultry, beef, pork or brown rice in your diet.
It’s also a great source of branched-chain amino acids, especially arginine — which promotes healthy blood flow and heart health — and leucine, isoleucine and valine — which promote muscle growth.
In general, animal proteins are more easily digested and absorbed than plant-based proteins.
Still, research demonstrates that pea protein is one of the more easily digested plant-based proteins — just behind soy protein and chickpeas.