Quick Quinoa Protein Concentrate Summary Points
- Quinoa Protein Concentrate or QPC is a protein derived from the hardy, grain quinoa.
- Up to 70% protein, quinoa protein is a suitable alternative to dairy proteins and other plant based proteins
- A complete source of protein, QPC is rich in essential and branched chain amino acids and is naturally gluten free and hypoallergenic.
- While quinoa protein products are still low in number, expect to see its popularity to grow.
- Quinoa Protein Concentrate can be stacked with any other supplement including pre workouts, fat burners and other protein powders.
What is Quinoa Protein Concentrate?
Quinoa protein is the latest plant based protein which will soon be hitting the shelves as an excellent alternative to other plant based proteins such as soy protein, pea protein and rice protein.
Where does Quinoa Protein Concentrate come from?
Quinoa protein concentrate or QPC is naturally derived from the hardy grain Quinoa. Native to the Andean region of South America, quinoa is tolerant of dry soil, altitude and lower temperatures. While quinoa protein content is high for grains at between 9-20%, quinoa protein production methods have been slow at increasing this percentage. However, QPC can now reach 70% protein content whilst keeping vital phytonutrients.
Quinoa Protein Concentrate Benefits
Little research has been conducted on Quinoa Protein Concentrate, however, as it is rich in essential amino acids, QPC offers similar benefits to other plant based proteins. In addition, quinoa is often considered a source of complete protein, unlike pea or rice proteins, which are deficient in amino acids such as cysteine, methionine and lysine respectively. Quinoa is naturally gluten free and a naturally creamy, but non gritty texture that can be found in other plant based proteins. It also has natural gelling and foaming properties, which can make it a suitable replacement for egg whites in cooking. Quinoa protein concentrate is also naturally hypoallergenic, making it ideal for anyone who has common allergies such as soy, dairy and wheat allergies.
Quinoa Protein Concentrate Benefits for Bodybuilding
As with any other protein powder, quinoa protein concentrate helps to provide a range of essential and branched chain amino acids that are vital for muscle building and growth. In addition, quinoa protein is a rich source of phyto hormones, which may have an impact on exercise performance and recovery. More research is definitely required, however, at its core, quinoa protein offers a tasty vegan alternative to other proteins on the market.
Quinoa Protein Concentrate Side Effects, Safety & Negatives
While there haven’t been any specific studies looking at side effects of quinoa protein consumption, there haven’t been any issues with quinoa consumption. While quinoa is coated in bitter tasting saponins, which are slight irritants if ingested in high quantities, commercially consumed quinoa is washed to remove these saponins. As such, there hasn’t been any concerns regarding intake of quinoa products and quinoa protein concentrate.
Quinoa Protein Concentrate Recommended Dose & Ingredient Timing
No official dosing recommendations have been suggested for quinoa protein concentrate, however as it’s still a protein powder, ideally you’d want enough to offer 25-30g of protein. With a 70% protein powder, you’d want at least 35-40g of the protein powder for best effects.
Quinoa Protein Concentrate Supplements
Quinoa Protein Concentrate is not currently seen in any supplements at the moment, however there are over 1400 products in the US alone that contains some form of quinoa. With the functional nature of quinoa protein concentrate, this figure can easily increase and you can find anything from quinoa protein powders to quinoa protein bars soon.
Stacking Quinoa Protein Concentrate
Quinoa Protein Concentrate or QPC is like any plant based protein and can stack with any other supplement including fat burners, pre workouts, hormone support supplements and other protein powders.