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Review
. 2020 Nov 30;12(12):3704.
doi: 10.3390/nu12123704.

Plant Proteins: Assessing Their Nutritional Quality and Effects on Health and Physical Function

Steven R Hertzler  1 , Jacqueline C Lieblein-Boff  1 , Mary Weiler  1 , Courtney Allgeier  1
Affiliations
Review

Plant Proteins: Assessing Their Nutritional Quality and Effects on Health and Physical Function

Steven R Hertzler et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Consumer demand for plant protein-based products is high and expected to grow considerably in the next decade. Factors contributing to the rise in popularity of plant proteins include: (1) potential health benefits associated with increased intake of plant-based diets; (2) consumer concerns regarding adverse health effects of consuming diets high in animal protein (e.g., increased saturated fat); (3) increased consumer recognition of the need to improve the environmental sustainability of food production; (4) ethical issues regarding the treatment of animals; and (5) general consumer view of protein as a "positive" nutrient (more is better). While there are health and physical function benefits of diets higher in plant-based protein, the nutritional quality of plant proteins may be inferior in some respects relative to animal proteins. This review highlights the nutritional quality of plant proteins and strategies for wisely using them to meet amino acid requirements. In addition, a summary of studies evaluating the potential benefits of plant proteins for both health and physical function is provided. Finally, potential safety issues associated with increased intake of plant proteins are addressed.

Keywords: DIAAS; PDCAAS; amino acids; plant protein; protein quality; protein requirements; vegetable protein.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors are employed by Abbott Nutrition.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Calculation of the PDCAAS (adapted from [15]).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparisons of leucine and selected dispensable amino acid concentrations (mg/g protein): whey versus the Top 5 highest quality plant proteins in Table 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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