The Study
Effects of Consuming Ounce-Equivalent Portions of Animal- vs. Plant-Based Protein Foods, as Defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans on Essential Amino Acids Bioavailability in Young and Older Adults: Two Cross-Over Randomized Controlled Trials
This study gave people different foods and measured what happened to their blood right after eating. It found that pork and eggs made more useful protein building blocks appear in the blood than beans and almonds. But it didn't test if this makes people stronger or healthier over time.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Scientists tested if a slice of pork, two eggs, a cup of beans, or a handful of almonds — all counted as the same 'ounce' in dietary guidelines — give your body the same amount of useful protein building blocks.
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 565 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — your body absorbs and uses far more protein from pork and eggs than from beans or almonds when eating the same 'ounce-equivalent' amount, which matters for muscle building and health.
- 2Pork gave 7.36g of useful amino acids, eggs gave 5.38g, beans gave 3.02g, and almonds gave only 1.85g — pork and eggs were much better than beans and almonds, and pork was better than eggs.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Nutrients
Year
2023
Authors
Gavin Connolly, Joshua L. Hudson, R. Bergia, Eric M. Davis, Austin S. Hartman, Wenbin Zhu, C. Carroll, Wayne N. Campbell
Related Content
Claims (6)
Two ounces of unprocessed lean pork delivers more essential amino acids into the bloodstream after eating than two ounces of whole eggs, in both younger and older adults.
Eating two ounces of black beans provides the same amount of essential amino acids in the bloodstream after eating as eating two ounces of sliced almonds.
In healthy older adults, the absorption and use of essential amino acids from pork, eggs, black beans, or almonds after eating are not different from those in younger adults.
The current method of measuring protein in ounces in U.S. dietary guidelines does not account for differences in essential amino acid content or how well the body absorbs these amino acids from animal versus plant sources, making it an inaccurate measure of protein quality.
When healthy young and older adults eat two ounce-equivalent portions of unprocessed lean pork or whole eggs, their bodies absorb more essential amino acids after eating than when they eat the same amount of black beans or sliced almonds.
Tofu contains all essential amino acids in better proportions than most plant proteins, but the body absorbs fewer of those amino acids from tofu than from eggs, meat, or dairy.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.