Can someone explain (preferably with a reliable source) what a “complete protein” is. All most all top hits on google will say something like “Animal sources of protein are complete as they contain all essential amino acids. (Most) Plants do not”.
But this is demonstrably wrong. It is so easy to come up with a proof of contradiction (the best kind of proof). If I go to Cronometer or myfooddata.com and type any plant, I can see all essential amino acids in the table.
Maybe it has something to do with composition. But I want to know the true definition. Where did the definition originate from? How come almost every source I find will say “plants are missing at least one essential amino acid”. How did this misconception arise and why do we keep perpetuating the idea?
Edit: any source to the original definition will be greatly appreciated. I am wondering what the reason is for this seemingly arbitrary distinction
Thank you
A lot of plants don’t have enough of a certain amino acid for it to be labeled a complete protein. Rice, for example, has lysine but not enough to be complete. Animal sources do typically have the best balance of amino acids, but you can also mix incomplete proteins (which you’ll likely do anyway if you’re eating a variety of foods).
> A complete protein or whole protein is a food source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of each of the nine essential amino acids necessary in the human diet.
You’re right, you can find almost any amino acid in most if not all plant-based food. There are two problems though:
the actual amount of any of those essential amino acids
absorption rates of all of those amino acids. It obviously doesn’t help you to have a food that has tons of every essential AS if it, at the same time, has certain anti-nutritives that will simply hinder your body from absorbing any of those. (extreme example).
So it’s true that it is easier to get “complete protein” from animal sources using only one or two products, but it really doesn’t matter all that much. Mixing different foods - which is pretty much what we do when consuming a balanced diet - will basically fill in the gaps that certain foods have. One of the many reasons why a balanced diet is important and eating the same thing 24/7 is probably not a good idea.
Edit: Try googling “food combinations for complete protein” and if you want add “for vegetarians or vegans”. You’ll get different combos of plant foods that - in combination - form a complete protein. But again, it really does not matter that much, since you should be eating multiple different food or food groups every day anyways, and by doing so you shouldn’t have trouble getting enough of every essential amino acid.
An incomplete protein doesn’t need to be missing an essential amino acid. It can just be low enough in one that it’s considered incomplete. e.g.- a lot of plant/grain proteins could be low in lysine and considered incomplete. As long as you’re diet has other sources of lysine than you’re fine. A common myth is that you need to ingest all of the essential amino acids in one meal or else it’s pointless to eat an incomplete protein. That’s BS. As long as you’re consuming a combination throughout the day, you’re fine.