What Is Protein PDCAA Score and What Difference Does It Make

by Team bGREEN on December 21, 2021

To understand PDCAAS and its importance, it is first vital to understand proteins and their role in our body. 


Proteins are essential nutrients found in the human body and are a major structural component of all cells including body organs, muscles, hair and skin tissues. Consuming proteins from different sources have varying levels of nutritional value especially with new brands being marketed almost every day. It becomes tough for people who have no idea where to begin and what quality to look for. Keeping a clean balanced diet is important for maintaining overall health but when you’re building muscles and working out to get that great shape it becomes hard to provide essential nutrients to your body. 


Due to the important role proteins play in our body, it is vital that consumers and brands have a reliable, standard measure to determine protein quality. So, to help you understand your protein intake and the quality of dietary supplements to consume, here's an insightful blog that will help you understand the protein PDCAAS and what difference it makes to your nutritional intake. 


What is the PDCAAS Score of Protein?


PDCAAS, also known as the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score evaluates a food’s protein quality. It compares amino acid composition to what our bodies require. 


The PDCAAS score compares the amount of the essential amino acid in the food to a scoring pattern based on the essential amino acid requirements of the human body and their ability to digest it. The protein digestibility corrected amino acid score has been adopted by WHO as the preferred method for the measurement of the protein value in human nutrition. 


Protein quality describes both the amino acids in a dietary protein source and their bioavailability. The highest PDCAAS any protein can achieve is 1.0, indicating that the protein will provide 100% of all amino acids required in the diet. 


The formula to get PDCAAS: PDCAAS% = (mg of limiting amino acid in 1-g protein/mg of same amino acid in the 1-g reference protein multiplied by ( true digestibility %) 


True digestibility % score

Pea protein concentrate: 82%

Hemp: 46%

Rice: 50%

Spirulina: 1.0


Importance of PDCAAS Score of Protein For Athletes and Physical Endurance


Protein intake that exceeds the daily recommended allowance is widely accepted for both endurance and power athletes. However, considering the variety of proteins that are available are concerning the benefits of consuming one protein versus another. The main objective is to identify the key factors in order to make responsible recommendations for both the general and athletic populations. The evaluation of protein is fundamental in determining its nutritional value in a diet. 


Protein is available in a variety of dietary sources including foods from animals and plant origins. Determining the effectiveness of a protein is accomplished by defining its quality and digestibility. One of the popular beliefs related to the effectiveness of protein intake is that typically all the dietary sources of animal proteins are considered to be complete proteins which means they contain all the essential amino acids. Animal protein sources such as milk, meat, fish and poultry provide the highest quality rating food source. 


This becomes a greater problem for those who are following a vegan or plant-based diet. 

One such effective and organic option to include in a plant-based protein diet is by adding bGREEN Vegan Protein. It is a 100% vegan protein supplement derived from plant-based sources making them a naturally healthy and cruelty-free supplement for muscle building and mass gaining. It is a PDCAAS score 1 protein powder making it easily digestible with all the corrected amino acids. It contains the appropriate PDCAAS formula with brown rice, pea protein and spirulina making it a complete power-packed supplement to boost your body with all essential nutrients. 


It is crucial to have accurate but practical methods like protein digestibility corrected amino acid score to make sure we make the best foods and diet choices for a range of consumers to meet their optimal nutritional needs. It is equally important for the consumers to be aware and educated about high-quality protein intake and to pick the best quality product from the collective choices in the market. 

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