How good is pork protein for your body?
Pork cuts, hams, and sausages have digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) close to or over 100
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Prosciutto outperformed fresh cuts like tenderloin in protein quality
Many assume fresh, lean meats like pork tenderloin are superior to cured meats like prosciutto, but this study shows the opposite in terms of amino acid availability.
Practical Takeaways
Choose prosciutto or tenderloin for high-quality, easily digestible protein, especially in meals for children over 6 months.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Prosciutto outperformed fresh cuts like tenderloin in protein quality
Many assume fresh, lean meats like pork tenderloin are superior to cured meats like prosciutto, but this study shows the opposite in terms of amino acid availability.
Practical Takeaways
Choose prosciutto or tenderloin for high-quality, easily digestible protein, especially in meals for children over 6 months.
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.