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From Field to Fitness: The Rise of Alfalfa Protein Powder

From Field to Fitness: The Rise of Alfalfa Protein Powder

Alfalfa protein has tremendous potential as a global food source, particularly within the fitness industry. Its unique combination of characteristics, when unlocked by Leaft Foods, pose answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding food and nutrition today.

Nick Walker

Nick Walker

19 October 2023

4min read

Rubisco

The benefits of protein powder

Fitness fanatics have understood the benefits of protein powder for a long time, but there’s a shift happening.

More and more people are recognising the benefits of plant-based protein powders as a natural supplement with tonnes of nutritional goodness. Where they once were seen as inferior, plant proteins are increasingly being preferred by people all over the world.

Not only that, but plant-based proteins are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Vegan proteins fit with meat-free diets, which are also on the rise.

But not all plant proteins are made equal. Some are better than others, and alfalfa protein powder is quickly emerging as a premiere source of protein, superior to traditional forms in many ways.

Unveiling the Nutritional Potential of Alfalfa Protein

The leaves of Alfalfa, or lucerne, are packed with a powerful protein called rubisco. Rubisco is present in any green leaf, which makes it one of the most abundant proteins in the world.

Alfalfa plant protein offers complete nutrition and low fat content, with an amino acid profile that’s similar to beef. As a plant, it has an extremely high protein composition, which makes it a highly efficient crop to harvest protein from.

The nutritional benefits of alfalfa protein are supercharged compared to other plant-based proteins. It’s emerging as potentially one of the most protein-rich foods available today, with a whole lot of goodness and not much else.

A lot of that comes down to Leaft Foods’ groundbreaking extraction technology.

From Field to Fitness: The Alfalfa Protein Production Process

Leaft Foods has unlocked the huge potential of alfalfa protein for human nutrition with cutting edge protein extraction technology.

Before we get into that, let’s go back a step to the way alfalfa is grown.

One of the big advantages of growing and cultivating alfalfa protein is in how sustainable and environmentally friendly it is as a plant. We mentioned above that the rubisco protein is present in any green leaf - in theory, we could harvest it from any leaf in the world.

The reason alfalfa is a great source of rubisco protein is it’s nutrient dense. It has incredibly high protein content throughout the entire plant.

Alfalfa is a great livestock crop for farmers looking to improve their environmental profile. It promotes sustainable farming by requiring significantly less water and management than other crops.

It’s also nitrogen fixing, which means it absorbs nitrogen out of the soil and ultimately improves soil health. Alfalfa’s deep tap roots boost soil health, and as a perennial crop it requires less cultivation throughout its lifecycle.

This gives alfalfa protein an advantage over other plant proteins like rice, pea and soy that tend to be grown in annual monocrops. Alfalfa makes it easy to rotate crops and promote soil diversity, which is significant in boosting overall soil health.

When it comes to harvesting alfalfa protein, Leaft Foods’ technology makes it more available than ever before.

Human digestive systems haven’t evolved in a way that enables the body to extract all of the nutritional goodness from leaves. When we eat alfalfa or kale (or any green leaf), much of its protein content passes through the body without being absorbed.

Herbivores like cows can extract all the rubisco protein from plants, and this is what enables them to sustain themselves.

Leaft Foods has developed a protein extraction process that keeps the goodness intact and makes all of it available for the person consuming it. This groundbreaking development is the key in opening up an entire new food source - one that’s abundant around the world and an extremely good source of healthy nutrition.

Making alfalfa protein powder starts with producing a high quality crop. The protein is then extracted at Leaft’s state of the art manufacturing site using food-safe techniques, before it’s dried and packaged in a powder form.

Unleashing the Advantages of Alfalfa Protein Powder

There’s an irony in what Leaft Foods has done in making alfalfa such a great protein source. Where, in the past, it was difficult for people to absorb the protein from the leaves we’d eat, now it’s actually a highly digestible protein.

When you eat alfalfa protein powder, the nutritional goodness is absorbed by the body extremely quickly compared to others.

Whey is a common dairy protein, but it may come with side effects for some people. People often complain of feeling bloated or full for a long time after having consumed it. This could be due to an intolerance to the milk protein or other nutrients in the whey.

Some people may have difficulty digesting proteins like pea, due to its slow rate of absorption. Many plant proteins are from seeds and nature intends the protein to lay dormant in the seed until the rains come and germination happens. In some cases, seed proteins are to be consumed by a bird or animal and pooped out intact.

Because alfalfa protein can be utilised by the body so efficiently, it’s a great way to get a quick boost, either before or after a workout. You can consume it for all the common protein benefits, such as enhanced muscle recovery and performance.

As well as being an allergy-free protein, Alfalfa is highly versatile. It’s neutral tasting and water soluble, which means you can add it to virtually anything and hardly notice it’s there.

Harnessing the Power of Alfalfa Protein in Your Daily Life

The versatility of alfalfa protein is another big benefit it has compared to other plant proteins. It doesn’t have the grittiness or the heaviness that others do - it’s extremely easy to take in whatever form you prefer.

In particular, it’s great in smoothies, energy bars and any protein-packed snacks. Whatever your favourite protein recipes are, alfalfa protein will work with them. You can even sprinkle it on your eggs or salads if you want.

You’ll have the convenience of sticking to your usual routine and your favourite foods, while supercharging it with a more effective, efficient form of protein.

For fans of meal planning or protein supplementation, alfalfa protein cooks well and is easily stored in the fridge or freezer without any effect.

The point here is, you can take alfalfa protein in whatever way is most convenient to you. Protein supplementation often involves making meals less tasty, changing their texture, or having to sacrifice some aspects of the food. Alfalfa protein requires none of that, so you can enjoy your favourite foods with nothing more than an increased protein hit.

Conclusion: Embrace the Alfalfa Protein Revolution

Alfalfa protein has tremendous potential as a global food source, particularly within the fitness industry. Its unique combination of characteristics, when unlocked by Leaft Foods, pose answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding food and nutrition today.

Alfalfa protein powder is an effective, nutritious and powerful protein. The way it can be grown and harvested sustainably, and have its goodness delivered conveniently are two aspects that set it apart from the rest.

Having the option to take alfalfa protein however you like makes it considerably more convenient than other plant proteins.

For an environmentally friendly, versatile protein source, embrace the power of alfalfa protein today.

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