Micronutrients & recovery
Processing methods such as germination, soaking, boiling, and autoclaving significantly improve the in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) and Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of legumes by reducing antinutritional factors like phytic acid, tannins, and protease inhibitors.
If you eat plant-based proteins like beans, peas, or lentils, do not eat them raw. Use processing methods like soaking, boiling, pressure cooking (autoclaving), or germination (sprouting). These methods break down antinutritional factors like phytic acid and tannins, significantly improving how much protein your body can actually absorb and use. For example, autoclaving or microwave cooking can yield much higher PDCAAS scores than raw or simply soaked beans.
Processing technologies could, however, help to transform raw grains into useful products which maximise their inherent nutritional value... Processing methods such as soaking, cooking and fermentation have been shown to lead to better AA digestibility, most likely due to a reduction in ANF such as heat labile protease inhibitors.
Why this rating
The paper cites multiple studies (Khattab et al., Osman, Kannan et al.) showing consistent improvements in in vitro digestibility and PDCAAS across various legumes, though human clinical outcomes are not the primary focus.
Source
Protein quality evaluation twenty years after the introduction of the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score method
Joyce I. Boye et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2012
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