Foods (Jun 2024)

Protein Nutrition: Understanding Structure, Digestibility, and Bioavailability for Optimal Health

  • Nneka Ajomiwe,
  • Mike Boland,
  • Suphat Phongthai,
  • Manisha Bagiyal,
  • Jaspreet Singh,
  • Lovedeep Kaur

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13111771
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 11
p. 1771

Abstract

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This review discusses different protein sources and their role in human nutrition, focusing on their structure, digestibility, and bioavailability. Plant-based proteins, such as those found in legumes, nuts, and seeds, may contain anti-nutritional factors that impact their bioavailability apart from structural and compositional differences from animal proteins. Animal proteins are generally highly digestible and nutritionally superior to plant proteins, with higher amino acid bioavailability. Alternative protein sources are also processed in different ways, which can alter their structure and nutritional value, which is also discussed.

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