What Is a High Quality Protein?
A high quality protein is a dietary protein source in which a high percentage of the source’s protein can be used by the body. The term high quality protein refers to two slightly different things. Foremost is that a high quality protein can be readily broken down in digestion for efficient use in the body. Second, the body requires certain types of protein, or more specifically amino acids, that it can’t produce on its own. Generally, high quality proteins become readily available for use and contain the full complement of essential amino acids that the body cannot produce by itself. Proteins are a wide class of typically complex molecules made up of chains of amino acids. When protein enters the body, it is broken down in the stomach and small intestine to make its amino acids available for forming the proteins of the human body. There are 20 or more amino acids used to form proteins. The body can make, or synthesize, some of these by itself, but there are at least nine that must com
