Research
Macro partitioning
Dietary protein quality is determined by essential amino acid content and digestibility (DIAAS), with plant proteins generally having lower bioavailability than animal proteins due to antinutrients.
Understand that plant proteins are generally less bioavailable than animal proteins due to antinutrients. To maximize benefit, eat a variety of plant proteins (legumes, grains, nuts) and consider processing methods (heating, fermentation) that improve digestibility. This is especially important for older adults.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Protein quality is primarily characterized by its essential amino acid content and the digestibility and availability of the resulting amino acids... Unprocessed plant protein sources contain antinutrients such as phytates, tannins, and protease inhibitors, which interfere with the digestion of plant proteins, making them less well-digestible and less bioavailable than animal-sourced proteins.
Why this rating
Well-established biochemical principles and FAO recommendations cited.
Source
Protein – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023
Ólöf Guðný Geirsdóttir et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2023
DOI 10.29219/fnr.v67.10261
narrative_reviewCited 10×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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