Return to the Iron Dungeon
Bioavailability -
A Comparison of Proteins
BV is a reasonably well-accepted rating system for the quality of proteins -- it is a measure of how much ingested protein is actually retained in the body. Initial scales were designed based on whole egg which they marked as 100. Since then, there are a number of sources that score higher than whole egg, but the scale remains consistent all the same. Therefore, a source that scores 100 is theoretically absorbed twice as well as something at 50.
| Protein Type | BV |
| Whey protein isolates blends | 110-159 |
| Whey concentrate (lactalbumin) | 104 |
| Whole egg | 100 |
| Cow's milk | 91 |
| Egg white (albumin) | 88 |
| Fish | 83 |
| Beef | 80 |
| Chicken | 79 |
| Casein | 77 |
| Soy | 74 |
| Rice | 59 |
| Wheat | 54 |
| Beans | 49 |
Source: Colgan Institute, San Diego 1997
(This is not the best source, but other studies have come up
with similar values. However, lower values for Soy have
appeared elsewhere).
Reader's Comments:
Please leave your comments or suggestions below!How does smooth peanut butter compare? I've been told that it contains more protein than a comparable weight of beef. Of course, it's also full of oil and sugars, but I'm not worried about that at this point. I can carry a jar of PB to work. Kind of hard carrying steak around!
Thanks, ~D.
In all honesty, I haven't seen the BV for peanut butter, but I'm sure that it has been measured somewhere. If one isn't worried about the sugar and fat (lucky you!) then it could be a half-decent alternative, although it apparently isn't as dense protein-wise as some other meat alternatives. I found an article on Peanut Butter that you might find interesting, as it does offer some detail on the nutritional makeup of the spread.