PDCAAS: Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score
PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score) evaluates a food's protein quality. It's a method of evaluating the quality of a protein based on both the amino acid requirements of humans and their ability to digest it. The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) has been adopted by FAO/WHO as the preferred method for the measurement of the protein value in human nutrition.
The highest PDCAAS value that any protein can achieve is 1.0, indicating that the protein will provide 100% (or more) of all the amino acids required in the diet.
Protein quality describes both the content of amino acids in a dietary protein source and their bioavailability. There are many different ways to estimate the protein quality of a food.
fitppl's PDCAAS score is 1.10
Proteins that have values higher than 1.0 are rounded or leveled down to 1.0 as scores above 1.0 are considered to indicate the protein contains essential amino acids in excess of the human requirements.
How is PDCAAS calculated
The standard formula is found on the The National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine.
Amino Acid Scoring Patterns:
On table 10-24 is the listed amino acid scoring patterns for adults based on estimated requirements for protein.
The formula to get PDCAAS
PDCAAS % = [mg of limiting amino acid in 1-g test protein / mg of same amino acid in 1-g reference protein x [True digestibility %]
True Digestibility % Score Rice: 50%
Pea Protein Concentrate: 82%
Hemp: 46%
Spirulina: 1.0
Using nap.edu calculation, our limiting amino acid (lowest value) is Tryptophan at 250mg. Mg of limiting amino acid in 1g of our protein is 13.88mg (16g/231mg). Mg of same amino acid in 1g reference protein (from table 10-24) based on estimated protein for adults (18+y) is 6. For the true digestibility % score, we’ll be conservative and use the lowest % listed which is hemp at 46%.
Formula is PDCAAS % = [mg of limiting amino acid in 1-g test protein / mg of same amino acid in 1-g reference protein x [True digestibility %]
13.88mg/6mg x .46 = fitppl's PDCAAS % of 1.06
Proteins that have values higher than 1.0 are rounded or leveled down to 1.0 as scores above 1.0 are considered to indicate the protein contains essential amino acids in excess of the human requirements.
