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Protein Nutrition: Understanding Structure, Digestibility, and Bioavailability for Optimal Health
Nneka Ajomiwe1, Mike Boland2, Suphat Phongthai3
1School of Food Technology and Natural Sciences, Massey University, 4442 Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Abstract:
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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