Dietary protein quality refers to the capacity of a food to meet the human metabolic needs for essential amino acids (EAAs) and nitrogen. This is critical in low- and middle-income countries, where severe protein malnutrition occurs, and relevant in higher-income countries, where increasing dietary EAA intake may improve health and function. There are several methods to assess protein quality, each with different objectives. Chemical scoring metrics, like the digestible indispensable amino acid score, describe the EAA composition and digestibility of a protein source. However, these methods do not capture the metabolic activity of food-derived amino acids. Overreliance on a single metric leads to generic dietary recommendations lacking individual context. This review draws on chemical score and stable isotope methods to provide a comprehensive assessment of dietary protein quality. We translate these findings into practical recommendations for improving protein quality in the context of whole diets. High-quality protein sources are characterized by high EAA density (%EAAs/kcals), digestibility, bioavailability, and the capacity to stimulate protein synthesis. Practically, protein quality improves when using processing and cooking methods that reduce antinutrients, denature proteins, and reduce food particle size and structure. Conversely, protein quality decreases when exposing foods to prolonged storage, heat sterilization, and high surface temperatures. Diet modeling studies show that EAA density and protein quality are higher in omnivorous and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets, and diets high in whole food plant-derived proteins may require greater total protein and energy intakes to compensate for lower protein quality. For incomplete plant-derived proteins, consuming complementary proteins may be beneficial. Considerations for dietary protein quality in older adults include chewing efficiency, food particle size, and higher EAA density and leucine intakes to maximize muscle protein synthesis. Recognizing dietary protein quality as a multifaceted, modifiable metric is essential to improving dietary recommendations and public health outcomes.

Plant-based meat analogues, often used as an alternative to meat-based products, have grown in popularity. The processing conditions used to create these analogues determine the structural properties of the proteins, but their impact on protein quality is underexplored. Therefore, this study describes the impact of a broad range of high-moisture extrusion (HME) process conditions (100-160 °C and 50-70 % moisture content) on the amino acid score and in vitro protein digestibility of extrudates made with soy protein concentrate (SPC) and soy protein isolate (SPI) in addition to the physical properties (water-holding capacity, hardness and particle size). It was found that the physical properties of both SPC and SPI extrudates depended more on moisture than on the set process temperature profile. HME (at >60 % moisture) enhanced the overall in vitro protein digestibility for SPI- and SPC-based extrudates relative to the starting material, despite the significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) with decreasing moisture content and, thus, sample hardness. Furthermore, compared with the starting materials, amino acid scores hardly decreased (maximum 7 %) and remained >100 across a wide range of processing conditions, except for SPI-based extrudates extruded at 120 °C and 50 % moisture content. In conclusion, most of the HME conditions currently used for making meat analogues significantly affect their physical properties and enhance in vitro protein digestibility, but have minimal impact on the amino acid score.

Legumes have been sought as alternative protein sources to ensure food security and environmental sustainability. Characterizing their protein content and quality, including in underutilized grain legumes, e.g., grass pea, gives value to the legumes’ underexplored variability. To fill the gap of knowledge in legumes’ protein quality, for the first time, five extensive collections of cool season grain legumes were cropped under the same environmental conditions and further analyzed. Multivariate analysis showed the existent intra- and inter-species variability. The legume species with the highest protein content, grass pea, Lathyrus sativus (LS), was not the one with the overall highest individual amino acids content and in vitro protein digestibility. With these last characteristics lentil, Lens culinaris (LC), was highlighted. The highest average values of arginine (Arg), glutamic acid (Glu), and threonine (Thr) were found in LS and Vicia faba (VF). Cicer arietinum (CA) stood out as the species with the highest values of Thr and methionine (Met). Regarding the in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), LC, followed by Pisum sativum (PS) and LS, were the legume species with the highest values. Ultimately, this study bought to the fore legume species that are not commonly used in western diets but have high adaptability to the European agricultural systems.

However, some maintain that it is not necessary to combine foods like grains and legumes in the same meal as long as all the amino acids are consumed within a 24h period. This has never been tested. The goal of this study is to compare the effects non-complementation to protein complementization on whole body protein metabolism in young and older adults. Complementation of plant proteins with complementary amino acid profile (cereal grain + legume) in each meal can improve the protein quality of plant based diets. However, some maintain that if a variety of plant foods are consumed throughout the day, all essential amino acids are provided and protein complementation at each meal is unnecessary. This assumption has NEVER been tested, yet it forms the basis of current expert recommendations for vegetarian diets. Evidence from the investigators lab and others demonstrate that there is no storage pool of amino acids in the body; when one amino acid is deficient in the diet for protein synthesis, all others are in relative excess and are oxidized resulting in poor growth and lower rates of protein synthesis.

significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds and many packaged meals. For example, soybean products, such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source of food, useful both for its protein and oil content. Soybean oil is widely used in cooking, as well as in industry. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans includ The… Most soy protein is a relatively heat-stable storage protein. This heat stability enables soy food products requiring high temperature cooking, such as tofu, soy milk and textured vegetable protein (soy flour) to be made. Soy protein is essentially identical to the protein of other legume seeds and pulses. Soy is a complete protein (it contains all 9 essential amino acids). It is a good source of protein for vegetarians and vegans or for people who want to reduce the amount of meat they eat, according to the US Food and Drug Administration:

Legume A legume is a type of dry fruit. It is usually produced by plants in the family Fabaceae. Legumes can be a variety of fruits: peas and beans are types of legumes. Description Legumes grow from the carpel, the female reproductive part of a plant. The fruit of a legume is found inside a pod that can be split on both sides. However, there are some foods that grow inside pods that are not legumes. Health Legumes contain many healthy nutrients, such as protein. They are a good source of protein for vegetarians and vegans, or people who do not eat meat and fish. They also contain fibre. This helps to have a healthy digestive system. However, they contain some nutrients which humans find difficult to digest. It is recommended that legumes are soaked (left in water) before cooking to help with nutrient absorption (taking in more nutrients).[1] Some amino acids, such as methionine, are not found very much in some legumes. However, they are needed to help the body use protein. Use India imports (buys from other countries) the most legumes. This may be because a lot of Indians follow the religion of Hinduism, which does not let people eat meat.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Plant-based diets (PBDs), characterized by minimal or no intake of animal-derived foods and increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, seeds, and plant-based oils, have garnered attention for their health benefits and environmental sustainability. While substantial evidence links PBDs to reduced risk of chronic diseases, their role in pregnancy-related disorders remains underexplored. This narrative review aims to evaluate the impact of PBDs on pregnancy-related disorders, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), anemia, and overall maternal and fetal outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Evidence suggests that adherence to PBDs—rich in whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables—is associated with lower risks of GDM and HDP in several observational studies. While some studies report increased risk of low birth weight and anemia, others show no significant differences in maternal or fetal outcomes compared to omnivorous diets. Deficiencies in key nutrients—especially vitamin B12, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids—are a concern in poorly planned PBDs. Adequate supplementation and higher educational status support better pregnancy outcomes. Well-planned PBDs may reduce the risk of certain pregnancy complications and support maternal–fetal health when combined with adequate micronutrient intake. However, the evidence remains heterogeneous, and further high-quality longitudinal and interventional studies are warranted to establish the long-term safety and efficacy of PBDs in pregnancy.

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