I was always under the understanding that there was protein in everything pretty much (of course some foods contain WAY more protein that others!). I didn’t even realise that protein deficiency was ‘a thing’ until a friend mentioned to me last year that her doctor said it was a big problem among women particularly during reproductive years where there are sometimes issues with hormonal imbalance.

If you are on a vegan or vegetarian diet you will want to make sure you getting in good sources of vegan protein at each meal. If you are transitioning into a plant-based lifestyle it is useful to also see what kinds of foods you can swap out some animal protein for. Start with one meal a day and then go on from there!

Protein Needs And Hair Health:

There are so many body processes involved with being healthy and creating healthy hair. There are also many different reasons why hair could start suddenly shedding.

However, if your hair is starting to suffer it is a good sign that your diet may be nutritionally deficient. Your body will put the most energy into sustaining your organs. Protein is crucial for supporting your lungs, kidneys, heart and liver.

Protein is also really important for brain cells, muscles and of course your skin, nails and your hair. Because the hair on your head is not vital to your survival like your heart or your lungs, dietary deficiencies can often show up in the health of your hair.

The hair on your head is actually dead cells and is made up of a form of protein called keratin. Tiny blood cells at the base of each hair follicle feed the hair root to keep it growing. Not getting enough good quality protein can mean that your hair will shed itself before it will grow to any considerable length.

How The Protein That You Eat Forms Amino Acids:

During digestion any protein that you have eaten i.e. meat or plant-based protein like beans etc. are broken down to release amino acids which then go on to form the building blocks in creating new proteins. These amino acids are then used by your body in various different ways:

Protein synthesis: Creating new skin cells, hair cells etc.
Precursors: For creating serotonin (happiness) and adrenaline (fight-or-flight) crucial brain chemicals.
Energy: A small amount of protein is used as a energy source by the body. If you are on a low carb diet your body needs to use more protein for fuel and this will also have implications for your overall health and the health of your hair.

There are twenty different amino acids that are needed for the health of the human body. Nine of these amino acids need to come from diet alone as our bodies cannot make them. The protein that you get from eating meat for example is known as a complete protein as it contains all nine amino acids.

There are only a few plant-based complete protein sources and many good protein sources that don’t contain all of the amino acids so they are known as incomplete proteins. There used to be a lot of talk about food combining different protein sources during a meal to make sure you are eating a complete protein source i.e. rice and beans – this has been now been debunked.

There is no need to food combine proteins – our bodies are super smart! You do however need to make sure you are eating AT LEAST one high quality plant-based protein with each meal.

It’s important to note that you can be deficient on any diet and eating too much protein is not good for your health either.

Can You Have Too Much Of A Good Thing?

A byproduct of protein metabolism in your body is ammonia. In high levels it is converted into urea and then collected by the kidneys to be disposed of. Eating an excess of protein each day can be taxing on your body as your liver and kidneys have to work harder to get rid of the unnecessary protein that which your body does not require.

As your body ages it can start to lose muscle mass and strength, and increasing protein needs in these instances has been shown to be beneficial to longevity.

High protein diets are really popular at the moment. Yes, they can absolutely create rapid weight loss and I have also seen them be beneficial in helping to re-balance hormones for women. However, in terms of longevity and the long term health of your body I don’t think they can be healthy in sustaining your body in the long term. They may work for a while, but after some time your health and energy levels can suffer because your body is designed to run off carbs for fuel.

A good chunk of your diet needs to be carbs, not protein 🙂 Carbs give us the energy to workout and it is the constant exercise and training that builds up our muscles (not eating tonnes of protein!).

Carbs, Crucial Vitamins And The Health Of Your Hair:

Eating a good amount of carbs is also important for hair health, because not only do carbs help to fuel your body they also help with repair by converting protein into hair cells. Our hair also needs the energy that carbs provides to help it grow. A diet deficient in carbs has links with hair shedding and hair loss.

Make sure to include plenty of complex carbs i.e. whole grains, legumes etc. in your diet. Iron is also really important for hair health, particularly stored iron (you can easily get your Ferritin levels checked from your doctor). Great plant-based sources of iron include beetroot, dark leafy greens, watercress, dried fruit, tofu, beans, lentils, almonds and fortified cereals.

Another important vitamin for your hair is biotin – a B vitamin, plant-based sources include cauliflower, nutritional yeast, nuts (like walnuts and almonds), beans, mushrooms, whole grains, along with fruit like bananas, raspberries and avocados. Also if you are vegan don’t forget to supplement with B12 each day!

Let’s Look At The Top Eight Vegan Sources Of Protein:

1. Hemp seeds: 33g of protein per 100g / Complete Protein

Although hemp seeds have been available to buy overseas for years we have only been able to purchase them in New Zealand for the past few months! Hemp seeds are highly nutritious and originate from the hemp plant (which is in the same family as the marijuana plant). However, hemp seeds contain only trace amounts of THC (which is the psychoactive compound found in marijuana).

Hemp seeds are also an amazing source of fibre and a great source of plant-based fat! As they contain plenty of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. They are also very rich in antioxidants and contain vital minerals like iron, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium. You can also purchase hemp hearts to eat which are the shelled seeds. Hemp hearts are still very nutritious however they just contain less fibre without the outer shell.

Sprinkle hemp seeds on your morning porridge, in your salads and add a tablespoon to each smoothie that you make. You can also toast them to have as a snack or make some yummy hemp seed bliss balls or biscuits.

2. Cacao powder: 26g of protein per 100g / Complete Protein

Cacao originates from the cocoa bean that comes from the cocoa tree. Conventional chocolate is made from cocoa powder which comes from the cocoa bean in it’s heat treated form. Cacao powder is derived from the same bean but it is raw and non-heat treated which means that it has a much greater nutritional profile than that of cocoa powder.

Cacao contains a high amount of antioxidants (around fourty times than that of the antioxidant rich blueberry!). It is also very high in iron being the highest form of plant-based iron available. Cocao is also a rich source of magnesium, calcium and contains several mood boosting chemicals, including anandamine (also known as the bliss molecule), phenethylamine or PEA (increases endorphins and libido), and serotonin (happiness).

You can purchase the cacao powder which is can easily be added to smoothies to give it a chocolatey taste. Try making some yummy raw chocolate with it or add it to a raw bliss ball. You can also buy the raw cacao beans (which taste like delicious dark chocolate!) or you can also buy cacao nibs that you can sprinkle on your morning porridge or smoothie bowl.

3. Lentils: 26g of protein per 100g / Incomplete Protein

Lentils are an amazingly iron-rich superfood! They are also a great source of foliate which is really important for reproductive health and pregnancy. Like hemp seeds they are also very fibre rich which is fantastic for your digestive health. Lentils can also aid with weight-loss as they absorb water and help you to feel full.

Lentils have a great ‘mince like’ texture so you can pretty much use them in any recipe in place of mince. We make lentil cottage pie, lentil nachos, you can even make a tasty lentil loaf. Lentils are also perfect added to soups and casseroles. Learn more about the full benefits of eating lentils here.

4. Peanuts: 25g of protein per 100g / Incomplete Protein

All nuts are great plant-based sources of protein. Peanuts are particularly so! Almonds come a close second, then followed by pistachios and cashew nuts. Along with trusty old peanut butter you can also purchase almond butter and other nut butters. You can simply grab a spoon of peanut butter as a pre or post work out snack or load up some tasty organic bread with peanut butter and then top with chopped banana.

Add a spoonful of peanut butter to your smoothie or pop some into your home made raw chocolate or bliss balls. Eating peanuts or peanut butter is also going to provide you with a great plant-based source of fat and they also contain arginine which is an important amino acid that might help with decreasing blood pressure. Peanuts also contain the B-vitamin niacin which can aid in skin and digestive health.

5. Oats: 16g of protein per 100g / Incomplete Protein

Including oats in this list isn’t particularly exciting however I recently watched this vegan body building video and a common breakfast that they all shared was plain old oat porridge. You can dress them up a bit with a crunchy sprinkle of cocoa nibs or hemp seeds for some extra protein or add in a nice sized spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter!

It is also really easy to add some fruit to oats (get those carbs in!) like a banana or some blueberries. Adding some different coloured fruit to your breakfast in the morning gives you important antioxidants and phytochemicals!

Oats themselves are also a great source of antioxidants, are fibre rich and can also be useful in lowering cholesterol levels and stabilising blood sugar. Plus they are incredibly filling! If you are gluten free you can also purchase gluten free oats so not to worry! Of course if you also prepare oats with a plant-based milk you will also be double dosing on protein which is great first thing in the morning.

6. Quinoa: 14g of protein per 100g / Complete Protein

Quinoa is actually a seed but can be easily prepared and eaten like a grain. Quinoa is very important to get on board with if you are plant-based because it is a fantastic form of complete protein. Quinoa is also very versatile! You can easily add it into your baking – think loaves, biscuits, muesli bars etc.

You can also make quinoa porridge to have in the morning or make a yummy salad to have at lunch with some roasted veggies and perhaps another protein source like those protein rich lentils that I mentioned before!

Quinoa is very high in manganese and magnesium, along with B-vitamins, phosphorus, and iron. It also contains good levels of zinc and copper which can be great for hair health and keeping your natural colour! (read more here). Quinoa is also naturally gluten free.

7. Amaranth: 14g of protein per 100g / Complete Protein

Another complete source of plant-based protein which is quite similar to quinoa is amaranth. Amaranth is not currently very popular but it should be! It contains large amounts of calcium, iron and vitamin C along with magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.

Amaranth is also incredibly heart healthy and fibre rich. It also contains lysine which is an amino acid that can help to absorb calcium and create that all-important collagen. It is also said to contain nutrients that can help to keep hair healthy and avoid hair loss.

You can use amaranth in a similar way to quinoa. It can also be popped much like popcorn which you can sprinkle on top of your avo toast, salad or oatmeal for a bit of a healthy crunch!

8. Tofu: 13g of protein per 100g / Complete Protein

Tofu is a fantastic source of plant-based protein which you can learn to love on a plant-based diet! It is also incredibly versatile! You can scramble it with a bit of turmeric and sea salt on the weekend to resemble scrambled ‘eggs’. You can marinate slices in a combination of spices, soy sauce and maple syrup – which tastes delicious! You can also make a yummy peanut butter based satay sauce and chuck it in a burger.

Tofu is also a great source of iron and calcium on a plant-based diet. Soy beans are actually one of the highest forms of plant based protein with 36g of protein per 100g. Steam and snack on some edamame beans. Tempeh is another fantastic fermented soy based product that you can use in a similar way to tofu (some brands contain wheat however so look for a gluten free variety if you are sensitive).

Photo by Jurica Koletić on Unsplash

Links:

A fantastic resource from Be Good Organics of all of the different plant-based food sources and the amount of protein each contains per 100g. They also look at a variety of different protein powders!

Protein Fact Sheet From Better Health

Protein In The Vegan Diet From The Vegetarian Resource Group

The Phillip Kingsley site contains an absolute wealth of knowledge for overall hair health. They also go into great detail about common problems, disorders and deficiencies that they see in their salons that can affect hair health and cause hair loss.

If you are worried about how much protein you may be getting you can easily track your diet for a few days to check on tools like this