Best Protein?

By Atom Bergstrom

Atom’s Blog

Re: What sources do you recommend for protein? Best?

Protein Efficiency Rating (PER) was the only way protein was measured when I first entered the health food store business.

PER wasn’t accurate (except possibly for rat nutrition).

Next came Biological Value (BV).

BV wasn’t accurate. It missed by a mile.

Next came Net Protein Utilization (NPU).

NPU also missed the mark. It’s not much different than BV.

Next came Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). (You can’t make this crap up!)

The PDCAAS scale MUST be accurate because the Food & Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) say so, right?

Nope!

PDCAAS was “agreed upon” by joint decree of FAO/WHO in 1989. That was 33 years ago.

PDCAAS leaves out several important factors.

It doesn’t account for anti-nutritional chemicals (lectins, tannins, phytates, trypsin inhibitors, etc.).

It leaves out protein digested in the ilium.

It leaves out protein digested in the colon.

It’s accurate (independent of the above three factors) for “younger” folks only.

And that’s just for starters!

Some “experts” claim that eating the Burbank tomato is the ideal muscle-mass food.

There is almost no protein but loads of free-form amino acids — the kinds professional bodybuilders queue up to get.

So, if the “experts” can’t get their poop in a group, I’d just be mouthing my own considered opinion.

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