The Study
Pork cuts, hams, and sausages have digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) close to or over 100
This study looked at how well pigs digested different types of pork and measured protein quality. It can tell us what happened in this experiment, but not whether eating pork will definitely improve human health or cause any changes in people.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
This study looked at different pork foods to see how well your body can use their protein.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 58 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, this means almost all pork gives your body high-quality protein it can use well, especially for kids over 6 months old.
- 2The body can absorb over 90% of the important parts of pork protein.
- 3Prosciutto is the best, and most pork scores over 100 on a quality test.
- 4Chorizo scores just below at 99 for little kids.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
JSFA reports
Year
2024
Authors
Natalia S. Fanelli, Juliana C. F. R. Martins, Hans H. Stein
Related Content
Claims (6)
Most pork meats like prosciutto, ribs, and bratwurst are great sources of high-quality protein for people over 6 months old, but chorizo might not be quite enough for kids under 3 because it's low in certain important amino acids.
Pork—whether it's chops, ham, or sausages—has really high digestibility, meaning your body can absorb and use over 90% of the essential amino acids it contains.
Prosciutto gives your body more of the essential building-block proteins it needs than other pork products, for both young kids and older people.
Pork cuts like tenderloin and coppa give your body better-quality protein than other types like ribs, shoulder, or sausages, based on how well your body can use the amino acids in them.
Chorizo doesn't have enough of certain important amino acids for little kids under 3, so even though it's close, its protein quality just misses the 'excellent' rating.
Animal proteins are easier for your body to break down and use than plant proteins, according to scientific scoring methods.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.