Abstract
To underline the importance of protein quality in plant-based diets, we estimated the protein quality of different exclusively plant-protein-based day menus that are based on the “planetary health diet” developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission. PDCAAS and DIAAS were used to estimate the protein quality (PQ) and fulfilling of the amino acid recommendation for adults in vegan daily menus based on the planetary health diet: 2 days with only low-quality (LQ) protein sources and 2 days with low + high-quality (HQ) protein sources. The protein quality of Day 1LQ (DIAAS 76, PDCAAS 88) was increased by the addition of high-quality protein sources (HQPS): Day 1HQ (DIAAS 94, PDCAAS 98). Day 2LQ had a low PQ (DIAAS 71, PDCAAS 74), but when HQPS were used (Day 2HQ), the PQ increased (DIAAS 83, PDCAAS 88). Scenarios (day 1HQ, day 1LQ, and day 2 HQ) were classified as of good PQ. However, day 1LQ had a low protein quality. Consuming HQPS in a vegan diet can help to fulfil the recommendation of essential amino acids. This work served to understand and apply methods to estimate protein quality that can be applied to optimize protein mixtures to fulfil amino acid requirements in the future.
Highlights
There might be a lack in the absorption of certain indispensable amino acids that are important for health
This study aimed to evaluate the changes in dietary protein quality when only lowquality protein is consumed and how the addition of high-quality protein sources influences when consuming exclusively plant-based foods
The list of food items was dichotomized according to the following criteria for judged quality [7]: Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) < 75 was defined as low-quality protein sources (LQPS), DIAAS ≥ 75 as high-quality protein sources (HQPS)
Summary
A plant-based diet with a minimum number of animal-sourced foods provides health and environmental benefits. There might be a lack in the absorption of certain indispensable amino acids that are important for health. Protein quality reflects to what extent a food protein source or a diet fulfils the metabolic demand for amino acids and nitrogen, and whether the protein is used efficiently by the body [4]. Two factors are considered: the indispensable amino acid content and digestibility. Digestibility is an attribute that depends on the individual’s metabolism, but for protein quality estimation purposes, it will be referred to only as the amount of amino acid or protein absorbed by the digestive tract [4,5]
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