At several points in our recent history, several processed foods have been introdouced in the market that were convenient and purportedly healthy but after several generations, they were shown to be detrimental to our health causing cancer, cardiovascular among other health issues.
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Last decade, there has been a rapidly growing movement with the increase in vegan/vegetarian population to add protein isolates [pea protein powder, Impossible Burger etc.] and other extracts in food to provide enough protein to be comparable to meat.
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1] Do we have an understanding of long term health consequences of adding them to our diet?
Is the mechanism of how they are metabolized so well understood that health complications are not of a concern?
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2] Do they affect our gut bio?
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3] Is there a way to build muscle on a whole foods vegan/vegetarian diet without protein powder and modern processed foods as compared to a meat eater, all other things being equal?
Yeah the processed vegan options aren’t exactly healthy. They are a good option to be used as a substitute for those in it for the ethics. Mainly, one following the vegan diet should focus on eating lots of beans, chickpeas, lentils etc. paired with whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal. Outside of that, nuts and seeds are also a must, and soy products from soy milk and tofu are a very good choice aswell.
Yes. It is possible. Join us at r/plantbaseddiet or r/veganfitness
I’m vegan but specifically eat whole food plant based, so I’m really focusing on protein sources that come from vegetables, grains (like quinoa) and legumes. Remember all plants and plant matter has protein, and by eating whole food plant based you can eat A TON throughout the day (of mostly calorically dilute foods as well) and easily meet your protein needs.
I like impossible/beyond/faux meats now and then because they’re delicious. But I don’t rely on them at all. Been weight lifting with serious gains for three years now on nothing but plants.
Edit: why the downvotes?
Generally I’d say you can build muscle just fine as a vegan long as you account for calories. This can be easier said than done. I did it by consuming peanut butter, but otherwise it can be difficult to stuff your face with enough plants to illicit a hypercaloric state. I’d say eating enough and some times more than enough calories, is the most powerful driver of muscle growth other than the training itself.
It’s all about amino acids and if you’re consuming enough of a variety to maintain muscle mass. Obviously, the most varied and dense sources are in animal protein like meat and milk. There are countless options out there nowadays for vegans, but it takes a lot of work for vegans to have a well balanced daily amino acid intake. Then you have secondary amino acids that vegans could be lacking as well like Taurine, found predominantly in fish. The gut microbiome is of course influenced, but keep in mind that your microbiome is made up of years of various bacteria coming into contact with your system. It actually starts in the womb.
Soy has a long and storied history, mostly one that doesn’t add up to great in the human body unless fermented. I’d never add that much soy to my diet. Ever. Pea Protein like Garden of Life has in their meal replacement is much better to me. The soybean lobby is large, and so is the propaganda surrounding it, but I don’t think it’s healthy for people. Soy is something that needs fermentation to me.