11/17/21 Plant-based proteins more desirable to athletes than animal ones!
The first factory in Europe for the production of protein from beans and potatoes will soon start operating from Croatia!
Data from an international V-label survey from 18 European countries showed that herbal preparations such as pea protein, rice, or potatoes are extremely attractive to consumers of sports food products, protein and various other dietary supplements. In a sample of 18,000 tested consumers of such products, there were 1,000 Croats.
Therefore, it is not surprising that at the end of this year, the Croatian factory NUTRIS tech near Slatina, the first factory in Europe for the production of protein, starch and fiber from beans and potatoes, should offer its products to the market. Consumer interest is also shown by the results of the research, because in the answers received by the V-label from as many as 180,000 EU citizens, 71 percent of respondents marked plant protein as attractive, among them rice, potatoes, wheat, peas, soy, algae and hemp. With these data, they confirmed that consumers rather prefer the plant version of the protein to the most common protein on the market, the one obtained from whey.
Recent research has also shown that the consumption of whey protein is associated with possible side effects such as acne and in some cases not only liver disease but also kidney and intestinal problems. "The message for food producers is clear. Consumers across Europe want a variety of plant-based ingredients in a functional sports diet, ”says Renato Pichler, CEO of V-Label, adding:“ Increasing consumer demand has contributed to the well-represented megatrend of plant foods in the market as an alternative to meat and dairy products. There is still a lot of untapped potential in different categories."
In addition to this research, the V-label recently conducted another consumer survey with more than 23,000 respondents worldwide. 91% of respondents confirmed that they prefer certified products such as V-labels when buying products, and as many as 61% of them claim that they are actively looking for V-labels on the packaging. Animal Friends is a representative of the V-label in Croatia: "Among the proud holders of this certificate are a total of 37 Croatian companies with more than 200 products, including sports supplements such as hemp protein and raw energy bars."
The popularity of plant proteins is evidenced by the fact that more and more professional athletes are discovering that a diet without animal products is desirable and crucial to improve their performance and maintain the peak of sporting success. One of them is a personal trainer and nutritionist Marko Samardžija, who five years ago eliminated meat, milk and eggs from his diet: “In the distant past, nutritionists believed that plant proteins had less nutritional value than animal ones. But luckily, that thesis has long been refuted. Plant proteins have the same absorption as animal proteins, and fats and carbohydrates are very easily absorbed through plant foods. Weight and muscle mass depend on calories, sleep, training and intake, not the origin of protein.
In addition, plant foods bring enormous benefits to the digestive and circulatory systems and reduce inflammatory processes in the body, which allows both athletes and recreationists to recover faster and reduce the risk of injury. Moreover, plant foods are generally healthier and protect against the most dangerous diseases of our society. It is good for healthy weight loss and for achieving great overall shape. I hope that this research will encourage other athletes to consume more plant-based supplements."
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