Amino Acid Utilization

 Dr. David Minkoff, MD, in his book The Search for the Perfect Protein discusses the concept of Amino Acid Utilization abbreviated as AAU. He begins by pointing out that the very best proteins in nature are mother's milk and eggs. Mother's milk has an AAU of 49% and eggs 48%. Meat, fish and fowl have an AAU of about 32%. Most protein supplements are less than 20%. Soy is 17%, dairy 16%, and spirulina 6%. NeoLife for years considered this concept under the acronym Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). This looks at not only the amino acid balance discussed by Minkoff, but also the importance of the ability to digest protein. A perfect score with the PDCAAS is 1, the profile of a raw egg. Measures of the usability of protein can fall with cooking or other changes to the structure of the protein or can improve when the protein is made more digestible. NeoLife proteins have a PDCAAS of 1-1.4 due to the excellent protein balance and ability to be digested.

I am often asked about collagen protein. Minkoff notes that 50% of collagen is nonessential amino acids and it is deficient in tryptophan, isoleucine, threonine and methionine. AAU for collagen proteins is poor. He also notes that collagen products often come from animals exposed to contaminants including antibiotics, prescription drug metabolites, steroids, insecticides and hormones.

Unusable protein may be dumped out of the body or converted to carbohydrate which in some instances can affect blood sugar.

Many people are afraid of the cholesterol in egg yolk and choose to consume just egg whites.Minkoff points out that the AAU of egg protein drops from 48% to 17% when the yolk is removed.