Soh Bi Xue Patricia, Smith Nick W, von Hurst Pamela R, McNabb Warren C
Sustainable Nutrition Initiative, Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, 4410, New Zealand.
School of Sport Exercise and Nutrition, College of Health, Massey University, Auckland, 0632, New Zealand.
Nutr Rev. 2024 Dec 11. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae176.
The transition toward plant-based (PB) diets has gained attention as a plausible step toward achieving sustainable and healthy dietary goals. However, the complete elimination of all animal-sourced foods from the diet (ie, a vegan diet) may have nutritional ramifications that warrant close examination. Two such concerns are the adequacy and bioavailability of amino acids (AAs) from plant-sourced foods and the consequences for older vegan populations who have elevated AA requirements. This narrative review describes the challenges of achieving high protein quality from vegan diets. Data were synthesized from peer-reviewed research articles and reviews. Plant-sourced proteins provide poorer distribution of indispensable AAs (IAAs) and have poorer digestibility, partly due to their inherent structural components within the food matrix. The review addresses complexities of combinations of varied plant protein sources and why the inclusion of novel PB alternatives adds uncertainty to the achievement of adequate protein adequacy. Meal distribution patterns of protein and the ensuing physiological impacts deserve further research and are outlined in this review. Particular attention is given to describing the challenges of achieving sufficient protein and IAA intakes by aging populations who choose to follow a vegan diet. This review contributes to the emerging discussions of nutritional risks associated with vegan diets and adds perspective to the current dietary shifts toward PB diets.
向以植物为基础的（PB）饮食转变作为实现可持续和健康饮食目标的一个可行步骤已受到关注。然而，从饮食中完全消除所有动物源性食物（即纯素饮食）可能会产生营养方面的影响，值得仔细研究。其中两个问题是植物源性食物中氨基酸（AAs）的充足性和生物利用度，以及对氨基酸需求增加的老年纯素人群的影响。这篇叙述性综述描述了从纯素饮食中获取高质量蛋白质的挑战。数据综合自同行评审的研究文章和综述。植物源性蛋白质提供的必需氨基酸（IAAs）分布较差，消化率也较低，部分原因是其在食物基质中的固有结构成分。该综述探讨了多种植物蛋白来源组合的复杂性，以及为何纳入新型PB替代品会给实现充足蛋白质充足性带来不确定性。蛋白质的膳食分配模式及其随之产生的生理影响值得进一步研究，本文对此进行了概述。特别关注描述选择纯素饮食的老年人群实现足够蛋白质和IAA摄入量所面临的挑战。本综述有助于对与纯素饮食相关的营养风险展开新的讨论，并为当前向PB饮食的膳食转变增添视角。
