As plant-based products gain traction, now’s the perfect time to create supplements that meet women’s evolving health needs. Will your brand be part of the growth? Read the article to learn more!

Plant-Based Protein Benefits for Women’s Health

By Lauren
Samot, RD
03/31/2025
Blog

The global market value for plant-based protein was estimated at $14.3 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $20.5 billion by 2029 with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5%.¹

In part, the demand for plant-based supplements is largely being driven by millennials, who represent the highest percentage of self-identified vegans and vegetarians.² This trend aligns with a study of 3,835 runners, which found that 57% of all-distance runners were women, and 20.9% identified as vegetarians.³ This shift highlights a broader consumer preference for plant-based, sustainable nutrition options.

This article highlights plant-based protein benefits, their role in women’s health, and key sources of plant-based protein.

Plant-Based Protein and Healthy Aging in Women

The word protein comes from the Greek word proteios, which means “primary”, “first place” or “of the first rank”. Given its crucial role in sustaining biological processes and life in general, protein is certainly a nutrient of primary importance for everyone.⁴

Many people traditionally associate high protein intake with men working out in the gym, but this is a limited perspective. In reality, higher protein consumption is just as important for women, particularly middle-aged women, and plant-based protein plays a key role. Plant protein could even be considered a women’s protein, offering essential nutritional benefits that support muscle maintenance, metabolism, and overall health.

A study⁵ was conducted to evaluate the long-term impact of dietary protein intake on healthy aging among thousands of female participants under 60 years old in the prospective Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) cohort.

The study examined the relationship between protein intake from different sources and the likelihood of healthy aging. The key findings included:

Higher protein intake was linked to better odds of healthy aging.
For every 3% increase in calories from protein, the odds of healthy aging improved by:
- - 5% for total protein
  - 7% for animal protein
  - 14% for dairy protein
  - 38% for plant protein
Plant protein showed the strongest benefits, being linked not only to healthy aging but also to:
- - Fewer physical function limitations
  - Better mental health
Replacing animal or dairy protein, carbohydrates, or fats with plant protein resulted in significant health benefits.

The study concluded that in midlife, higher dietary protein intake—especially from plant sources—is associated with better health and aging outcomes in women.

Other Benefits of Plant-Based Protein for Women’s Health

If you’ve ever wondered, “How can protein support women’s health?” consider that plant-based protein offers several benefits, including support for healthy aging and overall well-being.

Depending on the source, these benefits may include weight management by promoting satiety (i.e. feeling satisfied or full) and supporting metabolism, muscle building and maintenance by aiding in recovery and strength, and improved energy levels by providing sustained energy without causing blood sugar spikes.

Additionally, plant-based protein can support bone health by maintaining bone density, promote heart health by helping to lower cholesterol already in a normal range, support cardiovascular function, and contribute to hormonal balance through phytonutrients that support overall well-being.

Here are some examples of plant-based proteins beneficial for women’s health.

Weight Management

Pea protein for satiety – Pea protein isolate was demonstrated to promote feelings of fullness.⁶ Pea protein was also found to be more effective than whey protein, egg white protein or maltodextrin in reducing food intake when consumed at the start of a meal.⁷ ⁸
Pea and soy protein for thermogenesis – Two separate trials found that pea protein and soy protein similarly resulted in diet-induced thermogenesis (fat burning).⁹

Muscle Building and Maintenance

Rice protein for lean mass – Rice protein isolate was shown to decrease fat-mass and increase lean body mass, skeletal muscle hypertrophy, power and strength comparable to whey protein isolate.¹⁰ Other research¹¹ found that there was no significant difference between the whey protein isolate and rice protein isolate consumption concerning body weight, fat-free mass, and fat mass, although percentage body fat trended toward a greater reduction with rice protein isolate group.

Improved Energy Levels

Pea protein anti-fatigue effects – In animal research¹², pea protein had strong anti-fatigue effects, decreased lactic acid, increased muscle and liver glycogen, improved insulin levels, and had strong antioxidant and immune activity.

Bone Health

Soy protein and bones – Soy protein was found to significantly increase both bone mineral content and density in postmenopausal women, presumably because of its natural isoflavone phytoestrogen content.¹³

Heart Health

Soy protein and cholesterol – Studies¹⁴ have shown that the isoflavones in soy protein helped promote healthy cholesterol levels already within a normal range. This included the balance between HDL levels (the “good” cholesterol) and non-HDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol. Other studies¹⁵ demonstrated similar results regarding the balance between total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Pea protein and blood pressure – Research¹⁶ demonstrated that pea protein helped effectively maintain healthy blood pressure levels already within normal ranges—and did so more significantly than consuming a placebo.
Spirulina and glucose/lipids – A study¹⁷ on spirulina (a source of plant protein) helped promote healthy blood glucose and triglyceride levels, as well as a healthy balance between total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), all of which were already within normal ranges. In another study¹⁸ supplementation with spirulina had similar results.

Hormonal Health

Soy protein and menopause – The isoflavone content of soy protein has phytoestrogen properties, which has been shown to help relieve vasomotor symptoms of menopause (hot flashes and night sweats).¹⁹ ²⁰ ²¹ ²² Furthermore, increasing protein intake from 1.0-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight during menopause may help reduce loss of muscle mass and increase in fat mass which is common during this time.²³

Common Plant-Based Sources for Women’s Protein

As discussed earlier, there are various benefits associated with the use of vegan protein for women. The choice of plant protein sources depends on the specific benefits you want to highlight in your protein product. Below is an overview of some common plant-based protein sources and their unique features.

Pea Protein

Pea protein powder has a high protein content, and it is highly digestible.²⁴ In addition, it offers some significant advantages in promoting satiety and thermogenesis—as well as a couple of other benefits.

Hemp Protein

Hemp protein—which comes from the cannabis plant—is an excellent source of plant-based protein. It doesn’t contain any THC, the psychoactive compound found in marijuana. It’s a sustainable plant that can grow in a variety of climates, and the different parts of the plant can be used in many ways.²⁵

Brown Rice Protein

Brown rice protein is generally considered to be hypoallergenic.²⁶ Also, brown rice protein contains approximately 78% protein by weight with 36% essential amino acids and 18% branched-chain amino acids. This is similar to published values for soy protein isolate, which is considered to be reasonably complete for a plant-based protein.²⁷ It has also been shown to have very good amino acid bioavailability.²⁸

Soy Protein

As you’ve previously read, there are several benefits of soy protein for females. Soybeans are a staple food in many Asian countries and are widely used in various vegan products such as tofu, burgers, hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and other meat substitutes. In supplement form, soy protein is a valuable source of isoflavones, which provide additional health benefits.

Choosing the Right Plant-Based Protein Source for Your Supplements

Complete/Incomplete Proteins: One consideration in choosing plant-based proteins is the issue of complete vs. incomplete protein. A complete protein provides adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids, while an incomplete protein has lower levels of one of those amino acids.²⁹ Nevertheless, except for hemp protein, the others listed above had all compared favorably with the “gold standard”, whey protein. Another option to blend different plant proteins so that each can help make up for the limiting amino acid in the other
Digestibility: The Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Scores (PDCAAS) is a rating of protein digestibility values. The highest possible score is 1.0, which is found with casein and egg white. Nevertheless, some plant proteins also have relatively high digestibility values. For example, soy protein concentrate is 0.99 ³⁰, and pea protein concentrate is around 0.89. Rice protein is lower at about 0.50.³¹
Allergen Concerns: Plant proteins like those from rice, pea, and soy have a relatively low allergenic potential. This compares favorably to milk-based proteins like whey and casein, which have higher allergenic potential.

Wrapping Up the Discussion on Plant-Based Protein for Women

This article highlighted the growing popularity of plant-based protein and its numerous benefits for women, including support for healthy aging, weight management, muscle maintenance, and more. We also discussed various plant-based protein sources such as soy, pea, and hemp, which offer unique advantages depending on the desired health outcomes.

As you consider the best manufacturer to create your women’s protein supplements, it’s essential to choose a provider who understands the benefits of these plant proteins and can deliver high-quality, sustainable products tailored to women’s health needs.

Choose Vitaquest as Your Women’s Plant-Based Protein Manufacturer!

Vitaquest is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) that has provided supplement brands with exceptional supplement research and development, powder supplement manufacturing, packaging design, powder and particle engineering services using fluid bed, oscillation, and roller compaction technologies, and fulfillment solutions for over 45 years.

Whether you’re a newcomer to the industry or aiming to diversify your product range, Vitaquest possesses the expertise, cutting-edge facilities, and solutions needed to swiftly and effectively turn your women’s protein supplement concept into reality. Furthermore, you’ll receive an exceptional level of customer support.

Vitaquest also has expertise in domestic and international regulatory standards, as well as sustainability practices. Sourcing sustainable ingredients and using eco-friendly manufacturing processes can enhance brand appeal.  Our FDA cGMP compliance, combined with third-party GMP certifications from NSF, USP, and others, assures brand owners and consumers that we adhere to the highest industry regulations and standards. Additionally, we offer Kosher, Halal, and certified organic products, along with FSSC 22000 certification for food safety—demonstrating our commitment to manufacturing excellence.

Are you ready to capitalize on the women’s protein trends covered in this article? If so, call 800-526-9095 to speak with one of our knowledgeable sales executives or request a nutraceutical manufacturing price quote if you’ve already finalized your project requirements!

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Frequently Asked Questions About Plant-Based Protein for Women

Q: What are 3 benefits to eating plant-based proteins?

There are many benefits associated with eating plant-based proteins. These include helping with weight management, muscle building and maintenance, improved energy levels, bone health, heart health, and hormonal health.

Q: Is plant-based protein powder good for your gut?

In comparison to milk-based proteins, some plant-based proteins are higher in fiber and other nutrients that promote gut health. Some may also have prebiotic properties, which is good for gut health.

Q: What are the pros and cons of plant-based protein?

The benefits of consuming plant-based protein supplements include helping to maintain a healthy body weight, supporting muscle growth, and boosting energy levels, along with other positive health effects. The main downside is that some plant proteins may not have as smooth a mouthfeel as dairy-based proteins, which can affect taste and texture.

Q: Who should take plant-based protein?

The obvious answer is vegans/vegetarians. In addition, anyone with an allergy or other sensitivity to dairy proteins will likely prefer using plant-based proteins. Additionally, anyone looking to support body weight management, muscle health, energy levels, bone health, heart health, and hormonal balance should consider incorporating plant-based protein into their diet.

Q: What is the healthiest form of plant protein?

There are several healthy forms of plant protein, but three of the best are soy protein, pea protein, and rice protein. These plant-based proteins are supported by numerous studies showing their effectiveness in addressing a wide range of health concerns.

Q: Are there any side effects of plant-based protein?

Unless you have an allergy to a specific plant-based protein—though you’re more likely to have an allergy to dairy proteins—plant proteins don’t tend to be known for initiating side effects.

Q: What plant-based food is a complete protein?

Generally speaking, soy protein is considered to be a relatively complete protein with a protein digestibility value that is closely comparable to milk and egg proteins.

Q: Is plant-based protein healthy?

Most plant-based proteins offer a range of health benefits. These include benefits for body weight, muscle health, energy, bone health, heart health, and hormonal.

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Lauren

Samot, RD

Commercial Innovation Leader

With over 7 years at Vitaquest, Lauren Samot’s journey from Technical Services Associate to her current role as Commercial Innovation Leader exemplifies her dedication and growth. Leading the innovation team, she fuels business expansion through collaborative efforts across sales, product development, and operations. With a decade-long career in nutraceuticals, Lauren excels in manufacturing, raw materials, and product development. A Vitaquest Proud Champion Award recipient, she holds a B.S. in Nutritional Science with a minor in Public Health from Boston University and is an accomplished Registered Dietitian and member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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Plant-Based Protein Benefits for Women’s Health

Plant-Based Protein and Healthy Aging in Women