Protein is an essential nutrient to have when one is trying to lose weight. About 20% of the human body is made up of protein, making it absolutely necessary for your diet to have a considerable amount of protein. Protein also helps to build muscles, repair tissues and keep you full for a longer period of time. One can get protein from either plant or animal-based foods, depending on their preference. It has always been a topic of debate about the best source of protein, animal or plant.
This article draws a comparison between plant and animal-based foods, to tell you what is better. Amino acidThe protein we take is broken down into amino acids, which is then used for performing various metabolic activities.
The protein that you get from animals contains a good balance of all the amino acids that our body needs. While plant proteins are relatively low in certain amino acids.
A human body needs a total of 20 amino acids to build protein. The amino acids are classified into essential and non-essential amino acids. Our body can produce non-essential amino acids but depends entirely on the diet we take for the essential amino acids.
Animal products such as meat, fish, chicken eggs are a complete source of protein as they contain all the essential amino acids. Plant-based foods such as beans, lentils, and nuts are incomplete, as they lack some of the other amino acids. Nutrients It is true that plant-based foods contain an abundance of nutrients. But if we compare the two, animal-based foods contain more nutrients than plant-based foods.
Nutrients like Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D are found in abundance in animal-based foods and are not present in plant-based foods. People who are either vegetarian and vegan, are deficient of these two vitamins.

Bottom LineIt is obvious that animal based foods are rich in nutrients. But it is also true that there are a few nutrients which are present in green leafy vegetables but are not there in meat or chicken. Also, both plant and animal based foods have their own health benefits. So, in order to lose weight effectively, the best thing is to include both the types of food in your diet in equal proportion. Both types of food have their own benefits and risks. People who are vegetarian should include different types of food in their diet to balance their nutrient intake.

Source: indiatimes.com