“Top 10 Foods with High-Quality Protein” Come and see if there are any you like?

Protein is the material basis of life and an important component of human tissue. The expert working group of the Chinese Nutrition Society conducted a nutritional evaluation of common foods in people's daily lives and listed the "Top Ten Foods with High-Quality Protein".

The expert working group of the Chinese Nutrition Society mainly examined the two indicators of food: "quantity" and "quality". The "quantity" indicator is "protein content", which refers to the protein content in every 100 grams of this food; the "quality" indicator is "protein amino acid score", which is used to evaluate the quality of protein. The higher the score, the better the protein quality, and the easier it is for the body to absorb and utilize.

What are the “Top 10 High-Quality Protein Foods”? Let’s take a look!

1. Eggs

Eggs are rich in nutrients and are a food with high nutritional value. The protein content of eggs is about 13%, and its amino acid composition is very close to what the human body needs. It can usually be used as a reference protein for amino acid evaluation. Eggs contain a full range of vitamins and are also rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and selenium.

2. Milk

Milk is rich in nutrients, has a suitable composition ratio, is easy to digest and absorb, and can provide high-quality protein, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, calcium, etc. Since milk is a liquid food with a high water content, its protein content is only 3%. However, on the one hand, the ratio of essential amino acids in milk is close to the needs of the human body, and it is a high-quality protein. On the other hand, milk is easy to drink and it is easy to consume several hundred grams. Therefore, milk is an important source of protein food.

There are many kinds of dairy products, the most common ones are liquid milk, milk powder, yogurt, cheese, etc. After fermentation, the lactose, protein and fat in yogurt are partially broken down. People who are lactose intolerant can try drinking yogurt instead of milk.

3. Fish

Fish is rich in protein, lipids, vitamins and minerals. Its protein content is about 15% to 22%. It contains various essential amino acids for the human body, especially leucine and lysine, and is a high-quality protein. The muscle fibers in fish muscle tissue are short and thin, and the tissue is soft and tender, which is easier to digest than livestock and poultry meat. Fish is rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA and EPA). Moderate intake is beneficial to reduce the risk of hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. The recommended daily intake of aquatic products for adults is 40 to 75 grams.

4. Shrimp

Shrimp has high nutritional value, rich in protein, vitamin A, B1, B2, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other ingredients. Its protein content is about 16% to 23%, and its fat content is low and mostly unsaturated fatty acids. Shrimp is rich in magnesium, which plays an important role in regulating heart activity; its rich vitamins, calcium, phospholipids, etc. are especially good nutritional supplements for children and pregnant women.

5. Chicken

Chicken protein content is about 20%. Chicken breast is a favorite protein source for many people who want to build muscle. It has a low fat content and contains more unsaturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid and linoleic acid. It contains a variety of amino acids that are beneficial to human digestion. It is also an important source of minerals such as copper, iron, zinc, as well as B vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins. In addition, chicken is rich in phospholipids, which play an important role in human development.

6. Duck

The nutritional value of duck meat is similar to that of chicken. The protein content in duck meat is about 16%, mainly myosin and myosin, and the other part is interstitial protein, which contains water-soluble collagen and elastin, in addition to a small amount of gelatin, and the rest is non-protein nitrogen. Duck meat contains more nitrogen extract than livestock meat, so duck meat tastes delicious. Duck meat is a meat that contains more B vitamins and vitamin E, and the potassium content is also high.

7. Lean Beef

The protein content of lean beef is generally above 20%. The amino acid composition of beef protein is close to what the human body needs, and the proportion is balanced, so the body can absorb and utilize it. The fat content of beef is lower than that of pork and mutton, at around 10%. In addition, beef is also rich in minerals (potassium, zinc, magnesium, iron, etc.) and B vitamins, including niacin, vitamin B1 and riboflavin.

8. Lean lamb

The protein content of lean mutton is about 20%. Mutton is rich in minerals, including copper, iron, zinc, calcium and phosphorus, which are higher than many other meats. The ratio of essential amino acids to total amino acids for adults in mutton is more than 40%, making it a high-quality protein food with high absorption and utilization rate in the human body. The content of lysine, arginine, histidine and threonine in mutton is generally higher than that in other meats.

9. Lean pork

The protein content of lean pork is about 20%, and the composition of essential amino acids is close to what the human body needs. Pork is rich in phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium and other elements, and is an important source of mineral elements required by the human body. Pork also contains trace amounts of water-soluble vitamins. It is recommended to consume a total of 40 to 75 grams of livestock and poultry meat per day.

10. Soybeans

Soybeans include soybeans, black beans and green beans. As the only plant-based protein on the list, soybeans are rich in high-quality protein, unsaturated fatty acids, calcium, potassium and vitamin E. The protein content in soybeans is about 30% to 40%, and the composition and proportion of essential amino acids are similar to those of animal proteins. Soybeans are rich in lysine, which is lacking in cereal proteins, and are natural and ideal foods that complement cereal proteins. In addition, soybeans also contain a variety of ingredients that are beneficial to health, such as soy isoflavones, plant sterols, and soy oligosaccharides. There are many kinds of soy products in my country, the most common of which are soy milk, tofu, dried tofu, tofu brain, etc. However, fermented soy products such as black beans and fermented bean curd have too high sodium content, so be careful to control the amount of consumption.

Pay attention to the “Top Ten Foods with High-Quality Protein”, combine them into a reasonable diet, and get better quality daily supplements.

author:

Wang Zhu, researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and vice chairman of the Nutrition and Health Food Branch of the Chinese Nutrition Society

Gao Chao, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Member of the Nutrition and Health Food Branch of the Chinese Nutrition Society

Xing Qingbin, Assistant Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Special thanks to: Experts recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Society

This work is original to "Science Popularization China - Masters Talk on the Frontiers of Science and Technology". Please indicate the source when reprinting.