5 Natural Food Sources of BCAA

Have you ever wondered how you can get BCAA naturally? What are the best natural food sources of BCAA?

Let us find answers to these and many other similar questions to discover more about foods that are rich in Branched-Chain Amino Acids.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids or BCAAs are highly popular among fitness enthusiasts when it comes to gaining muscle mass and promoting muscle growth and repair.

Moreover, they are also effective to increase power output and reduce muscle soreness, fatigue, and damage.

However, BCAAs are essential amino acids that the body is unable to produce on its own and therefore we need to take BCAAs either from supplements or foods.

Let us read about some of the top natural food sources of BCAAs.

Poultry

Chicken and turkey are rich in all three BCAAs and they are also excellent sources of lean protein for muscle repair. You can try out different parts of chicken from wings to the breast to stay lean and muscular at the same time. Chicken wings and thighs have higher fat and one chicken breast has approximately 55 grams of protein. This can be a good choice for you, especially if you want to gain weight.

Eggs

Considered to be a gold standard for protein bioavailability, eggs are highly nutritious and include all three essential amino acids. Consuming the whole eggs, including the yolk, can stimulate muscle repair and growth more than the egg white. The yolk also includes important minerals and vitamins.

Beef

Red meat is considered to be one of the richest sources of iron that is vital for carrying oxygen throughout the human body. It can also help you improve your workout performance and fight fatigue. Red meat is also rich in magnesium which can assist with testosterone production that promotes protein synthesis. However, it is important that you should try out high-quality sources like organic and grass-fed as the high-fat and processed forms of red meat such as deli meat and sausage can be harmful to your health.

Greek Yogurt

Yogurt is a rich source of calcium that helps keep your muscles contracting and bones strong. Since yogurt is fermented, it also includes healthy bacteria that can be helpful for your digestive system. Dairy products such as milk and yogurt have an excellent balance of carbohydrates and protein that make them excellent post-workout snacks.

Nuts

Nuts are excellent plant-based sources of BCAAs. They include healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein. You can try out peanuts as a pre-or post-workout snack.

You can even try out natural vegetarian sources of BCAAs such as cottage cheese and milk. You can even try vegan sources of BCAAs such as Soy, Whole grains (brown rice, whole grain bread), Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, and beans), or nuts (pistachios, peanuts, cashews, and almonds). You can also choose from Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, and squash seeds) or Quinoa, and Greens (cooked spinach and seaweed such as spirulina seaweed).

We hope that this information on the top natural food sources of BCAAs was useful to you.