What Is In This Article:
- What Makes a Protein a Protein and What Determines The Score of a Protein
- Why The Score of a Protein Matters
- Where To Find The 'Best Proteins'
What is a Protein and What Determines The Score of a Protein...
Amino acids are molecules which combine to form proteins, essential for human living. Whether a protein is complete or not depends on the number of essential amino acids in the protein, with a complete one having every EAA and an incomplete protein missing one or more EAA's. To understand this, there are 11 non-essential amino acids and 9 essential amino acids, essential meaning that they cannot be synthesised in the body, so must be consumed. Therefore, if a protein is missing one or more of these EAA it is incomplete, and this evaluates the overall score of a protein...
The Score of a Protein...
Protein quality is determined by comparing the amino acid profile of the specific food protein being recorded, and comparing it against a standard amino acid protein with the highest score being 1.0. This score means that after the digestion of the protein, it is how much protein it provides as a nutrient. Egg, whey, cows milk & casein having the highest scores of 1.
The Benefit of a High Score Protein...
As we have read, a high score protein includes all of the 9 essential amino acids, ranging from Leucine, Valine and Tryptophan. This creates the ability of the protein to increase your energy, a faster and more efficient blood and oxygen transport and overall increase muscle growth. It is best to get these good proteins from natural sources... these being beef, poultry, fish, eggs quinoa & many more! Just try to eat less processed foods if looking to consume a more varied amount of 'good proteins'.