Vegetable Proteins: Nutritional Value, Sustainability, and Future Perspectives

*Nazir Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Sakhawat Riaz, Arslan Ahmad and Muhammad Aqib*

## **Abstract**

The growing world population demands more production of proteins for healthy growth and prevention of protein-energy malnutrition. The animal proteins are not sufficient to meet the requirement of daily proteins intake. Furthermore, due to limited resources of animal number, land, water, environmental impact, the demand for vegetable proteins and sustainability have been increasing tremendously. This chapter will outline the demand scenarios of vegetable proteins, nutritional aspects, and technological challenges in product development and consumer acceptance. It will summarize the potential of vegetable proteins related to health and existing diseases. The consumption of vegetable proteins, development of product, economic, sustainability, and food safety aspects will be summarized.

**Keywords:** vegetable protein, malnutrition, sustainability, techno-nutrition functionality, bioavailability

#### **1. Introduction**

Protein is a necessary nutrient, but not all protein-rich foods are equally represented, and you may no longer require as much as you believe. Protein, together with carbs and fat, is one of the three essential crucial components. Protein is made from more than 20 amino acids that assist create and repair muscle fiber, so that it is known as the "building blocks" of your body. Adults should consume at least 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight each day or little over 7 g every 20 lb of body weight. In 2005, it was projected that 20% of children under the age of five in the lowlands were overweight [1]. Even though southern Asia has the biggest number of children (74 million), East Africa and South East Asia have the highest stunting rate [1]. When nations with a stunting frequency of at least 20% were included, approximately 36 mainly consisted of 90% of all retarded young children [1].

According to various reports from Germany, the U.N, and French during the previous century, acute malnutrition was more prevalent among the hospitalized pediatric patients in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France [2–4]. Pawellek and colleagues discovered that 24% of children in a German major government hospital were underweight (90th percentile weight for height), with 17.9% mild malnutrition, 4.4% moderate malnutrition, and 1% severe, using Waterlow's criteria. Undernutrition was found in 40% of patients with chondrogenesis, 34% of patients with infection, and 33.3% of patients with cystic fibrosis, 28.6% of patients with heart disease, 27.3% of patients with cancer treatment, and 23.6% of patients with gastrointestinal disorders [3]. Protein is necessary for proper growth and the avoidance of malnutrition.

The population of the world is predicted to double by 2063, from around 6.5 billion currently to 13 billion. Because proteins are the only one of three macronutrients in our diet (the others being carbohydrates and fats), ensuring that adequate protein is available to feed the world's population is crucial. Proteins are made up of a variety of amino acid residues that are required for tissue growth, repair, and replenishment. Protein costs are rising as a result of societal shifts such as rising wages, increasing population, and living standards, where the value of proteins in healthy aging is well recognized [5, 6], as well as a growing recognition of the needs of protein in a healthy diet. Economic urban development is generating significant population dynamics nutritional status, particularly in moderate and high countries, with developing countries accounting for the majority of global increases in demand for animal-based meals [5].

## **2. Vegetable protein**

Vegetables are not only the most energy effective in the green house, but they are also a major source of energy, nutrients, elements, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and widely accessible energy for global agricultural production. Over 3000 plant species have been utilized for food by humans over history, with at least 50 species being farmed for business reasons. Nevertheless, approximately 20 different vegetable crops support the majority of the world's population. Vegetables produce two-thirds of all dietary protein on the planet. **Table 1** shows that cereal crops, especially, provide a significant amount of protein to the global protein supply. The data are derived from FAO and Agro state sites [7].

**Table 2** illustrates the amounts of necessary amino acids in various dietary sources, with the most restricting amino acids in protein sources meals shown in bold. The necessary protein lysine is significantly lower in vegetable-food protein classes than in animal nutrition, as can be shown. Children can thrive as well as recover from acute malnutrition if carefully prepared meals based exclusively on vegetable food sources are supplied. As a consequence, vegetable meals can supply the critical components needed for optimal health and function in the correct ratios and combinations. Protein sources meal combinations have the potential to be nutrient dense. Despite the soybean's reduced sulfur content, soya, peanut and sesame flour, and cereal grains, for instance, are mostly poor in lysine. This


#### **Table 1.**

*Worldwide relative importance of various food groups and per capita intake.*


*Vegetable Proteins: Nutritional Value, Sustainability, and Future Perspectives DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100236*

#### **Table 2.**

*The presence of the amino acid content of different food protein source.*

suggests that oil-seed proteins, especially soy proteins, might be used efficiently for most cereal grains to enhance protein properties. Data from the FAO and the US Department of Agriculture are included in **Table 2** [8].
