We’re sure you know all about protein, but do you know about amino acids? Simply put, they are the building blocks of protein – the smaller compounds that, together, make a complete protein. When proteins are digested or broken down, amino acids are the result. Our bodies use these amino acids to make proteins to help the body break down food and perform other important functions. (6)

What Are Essential Amino Acids?

Amino acids are made up of both essential and non-essential amino acids. There are 20 amino acids in total, and 9 of them are considered essential or indispensable because the human body cannot synthesize them on its own. We can only get these amino acids by consuming them in our diet, so knowing how to get them and how much we need is important.

Why can't our body make these 9 essential amino acids on its own? There may be an evolutionary advantage, and it comes down to energy. Humans and mammals rely on the environment to provide amino acids the body can’t synthesize. This means some genetic material was kicked to the curb and the energy to run long pathways to synthesize aminos acids was saved for other uses - is that a bear? (5)

Of course, this efficiency comes with a catch: we depend on our diet to deliver these crucial building blocks. That's why getting enough essential amino acids through food or supplements is important. (5) That means filling our plate with protein-rich foods like eggs, meat, fish, beans, and nuts is key.* The 9 essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Each plays a particular role in cell function and tissue makeup. (1)

What Is L-Methionine?

L-Methionine is an essential amino acid found abundantly in the average American diet in foods such as meat, nuts, dairy, and beans. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the daily allowance of methionine for adults as approximately 13mg/kg of body weight. (3) This isn’t a one-size-fits-all recommendation – protein needs vary from person to person based on different factors like dietary preferences, age, and lifestyle, so rather than focus on the numbers, it's important to look at the quality and completeness of the proteins we are consuming.*

BCAAS vs. EAAs

Branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and essential amino acids (EAAs) are both types of amino acids that make up proteins. As their name suggests, the difference between these two types of amino acids is in their structure.

BCAAs are 3 of the 9 essential amino acids including leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Just like with essential amino acids, our body can't make brain chain amino acids on its own – they have to come from your diet. However, the liver doesn't have the tools (enzymes) to break BCAAs down right away. Instead, they get ushered straight to our muscles, providing a more direct source to our muscles. (7)

It’s not useful to think of one as better than the other, but rather, when looking at protein sources, a complete amino acid profile is key. Each serving of our Essential Protein contains 8g of EAAs and 4g of BCAAs.*

Essential Protein’s Essential Amino Acid Profile

Our Essential Protein is made from pea protein, and while peas offer all nine essential amino acids, naturally occurring L-methionine levels in peas are a little too low for it to be considered a complete protein. That’s why we bolster our protein powders with 400mg of L-methionine.*

Our Essential Protein provides a complete amino acid profile, and our Essential Protein for pregnancy and postpartum contains 1785 mg leucine, 1063 mg isoleucine, 1124 mg of valine – BCAAs – and 400 mg of L-methionine, 522 mg histidine, 1604 mg lysine, 1013 mg phenylalanine, 801 mg threonine, and 207 mg tryptophan – EAAs. Together, they help provide the body with a complete amino acid profile.*

In an interview with The Skinny Confidential, Ritual’s CEO and Founder, Katerina Schneider explained that “[Essential Protein] does [have all of the essential amino acids] and it tastes great, too. We actually use regeneratively farmed peas grown in North America. It’s better for the environment. But what peas are lacking is methionine. So we layered in methionine and that’s why the taste is kind of creamy and rich.”

Traceability and transparency are the foundations on which Ritual is built. Ritual’s Essential Protein is sugar-free†, soy-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and it’s formulated without GMOs, stevia, sugar or sugar alcohols, and artificial colors, or sweeteners. Even better? We test every lot of Essential Protein for heavy metals, microbes, and over 250 banned substances in partnership with Informed Sport.

†Not a reduced calorie food

To sum it up, amino acids are vital to the synthesis of proteins in the body, and they work best together. Plant-based protein powders may fall short of offering a complete amino acid profile, as protein isn’t always as abundant or readily available as it is in meat or dairy. Our organic pea protein is a complete source of amino acids (BCAAs and EAAs), containing 400mg of L-methionine per serving – and it doesn’t stop there. Since it’s also sourced sustainably using regenerative farming practices, it’s good for you and helps out the planet.*

References:

1. Catanesi, M., Brandolini, L., d'Angelo, M., Benedetti, E., Tupone, M. G., Alfonsetti, M., Cabri, E., Iaconis, D., Fratelli, M., Cimini, A., Castelli, V., & Allegretti, M. (2021). L-Methionine…. (Basel, Switzerland), 10(9), 1467.

2. National Research Council (US) Subcommittee on the Tenth Edition of the Recommended Dietary Allowances. Recommended Dietary Allowances: 10th Edition. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1989. 6, Protein and Amino Acids.

3. Shimomura, Y., Yamamoto, Y., Bajotto, G., Sato, J., Murakami, T., Shimomura, N., Kobayashi, H., & Mawatari, K. (2006). Nutraceutical effects of branched-chain amino acids … The Journal of nutrition, 136(2), 529S–532S.

4. Atherton, P. J., & Smith, K. (2012). Muscle protein synthesis in response to nutrition and exercise. The Journal of physiology, 590(5), 1049–1057.

5. Lopez, Michael J., and Shamim S. Mohiuddin. “Biochemistry, Essential Amino Acids.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 18 Mar. 2022.

6. MedlinePlus. “Amino Acids: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” Medlineplus.gov, 2017.

7. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Nutrition, Trauma, et al. Branched-Chain Amino Acids. Www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Academies Press (US), 2011.