Jarrow Formulas Optimal Plant Proteins, Supports Gastroinestinal Health, 545 g

Peas are the seed-pods of Pisum sativum, a plant famed in scientific circles as Gregor Mendel’s, the father of genetics, vehicle to explaining the inheritance of traits. Yet peas, considered both a legume and a pulse, also deserve recognition for their high protein content. In fact, during the middle ages in Europe peas were one of the major sources of protein consumed. All pulses, however, are typically poor sources of the amino acid methionine and hence are not a complete protein. Legumes also possess noteworthy levels of amylose, a form of resistant starch that escapes human digestion but acts as food for beneficial bacteria.

Brown rice and white rice both derive from the same plant, Oryza sativa. Yet through no intrinsic fault, the brown variety was traditionally associated with poverty in Asia. However, modern revaluation of its attributes has led to an elevation in status. For example, despite comparable protein levels, brown rice contains B vitamins, iron, magnesium, fatty acids, and fiber that are lost to white rice. This is caused by the removal of the husk, bran and germ layers from the raw grain in the production of white rice. In contrast, only the husk is removed in brown rice. Nevertheless, like most grains, rice is a poor source of lysine and is not considered a complete protein alone.

Plants of the Cannabis genus may be controversial to modern society because of the psychoactive properties of some of its members, but the nutritive value of hemp seeds is unequivocal. Possessing a full-spectrum of amino acids, hemp protein exists in easily digestible, non-allergenic form. The hemp plant is also a source of essential fatty acids, with the omega-3/omega-6 ratio often coming in at 3:1.

Chlorella, a genus of single-celled algae, is a complete protein containing 45% amino acid components by dried weight. It burst into the consciousness of the American public decades ago when it was touted as a means to avoid impending world hunger. Unfortunately, chlorella’s photosynthesizing efficiency was overstated and the difficulty in “farming” it underestimated. Other factors, such as a somewhat objectionable taste and algae cell walls that impeded the protein bioavailability to humans, caused chlorella’s promise to fade. Some of these drawbacks have been overcome with Golden Chlorella, a more bioavailable, better-tasting form of chlorella protein.