Proteins of high biological value are those that contain the most amino acids. Discover what they are and where to find proteins of high biological value, by knowing which the foods rich in this sense are.
The proteins within healthy, healthy eating, become a fundamental macronutrient balanced diet as involved and perform a wide variety of important functions for the proper functioning of our body.
Simply explained, proteins are macromolecules composed mainly of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon, although the vast majority also contain phosphorus and sulfur, being formed by the union of several amino acids by peptides.
What are proteins of high biological value?
Taking into account that the quality of a certain protein depends on its content in essential amino acids, the biological value is precisely the index that measures that quality.
This means that a protein has a high biological value when it is rich in essential amino acids. Or, what is the same, when it has all the amino acids in sufficient quantities to form the different proteins that our body needs.
There are different types of essential amino acids: phenylalanine, leucine, lysine, isoleucine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Where to find proteins of high biological value
High biological value animal proteins
All foods of animal origin have proteins of high biological value, which means that most animal proteins are precisely rich in this type of protein.
However, there are certain foods that stand out precisely for their high content of proteins of high biological value:
Quality of animal proteins of high biological value | |
Eggs | 100 |
Cow meat | 75 |
Chicken meat | 75 |
Fish | 75 |
Cow milk | 75 |
Vegetable proteins of high biological value
It is also possible to find vegetable proteins of high biological value. Of course, the key is to combine different plant foods and thus obtain a much more complete protein.
In order to also obtain vegetable proteins of high biological value, you can pay attention to the following supplements:
- Legumes + whole grains.
- Legumes + pasta.
- Legumes + nuts.
- Cereals + nuts.