Hydrolyzed NiHPRO™ Protein Isolate is an innovative branded protein ingredient boasting a superior Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.00 and a Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) of 1.16.
In comparison, whey protein concentrate (WPC80) has a DIAAS of 0.97, while whey protein isolate (WPI) scores 1.09. Many vegetable protein sources score significantly lower, with soy protein, for instance, achieving a DIAAS of only 0.91. This article explores why NiHTEK, the cutting-edge company behind NiHPRO™, chose to measure protein quality using DIAAS over PDCAAS and why this decision reflects the actual quality of their product.
Understanding Protein Quality Measurement
A high-quality protein must provide enough of all 9 essential amino acids that are digestible and available. Traditionally, PDCAAS has been the standard metric for assessing protein quality. However, using recent advancements in protein science, DIAAS has been developed as a superior method to determine protein quality. PDCAAS measures protein digestibility after the large intestine, which can overestimate the true protein digestibility, as digestion by the gut microflora is not considered.
In contrast, DIAAS measures each amino acid’s total protein digestibility and digestibility before the large intestine. This accurately reflects how much of each amino acid in the protein the body can absorb [1].
Additionally, PDCAAS limits the maximum score to 1.0, making it impossible to differentiate the quality between high-quality proteins. On the other hand, there is no limit to the DIAAS score, so higher-quality proteins are distinguishable from other higher-quality proteins. For example, PDCAAS for WPI90 and soy protein are the same at 1.00, but DIAAS for WPI90 is 1.09, whereas soy protein is 0.90 [2](Table 1).
Right To Left:
1) Bodhi Kuai Vice-President & Co-Founder NiHTEK®
2) Drew Campbell President & Co-Founder NiHTEK®
3) Frederik Van Moer General Manager NiHTEK®
4) Johan Thuvander, PhD Chief Research Officer NiHTEK®
Independent Verification of NiHPRO’s Superior Quality
NiHTEK’s decision to use DIAAS over PDCAAS reflects a commitment to providing consumers with the highest quality protein. The DIASS score of Hydrolyzed NiHPRO™ Protein Isolate has been determined to be 1.16 by a third party using a standardized non-animal in vitro digestion study model, INFOGEST, in collaboration with researchers at the Food Proteins CSIC (https://foodproteins.csic.es/en/), based in Spain [3]. This in vitro digestion model has shown to have an excellent correlation with animal-based in vivo digestion models that have previously been needed [5] and hindered the widespread adaptation of superior protein quality scoring using DIAAS. This rigorous testing method accurately reflects the protein’s digestibility and amino acid availability.
Official Results: NiHPRO™ Outperforms Other Proteins
The research data conclusively demonstrates that Hydrolyzed NiHPRO™ Protein Isolate outperforms all commonly used protein sources, including leading dairy proteins such as WPI90 and WPC80, as well as popular vegetable-based proteins. With a DIAAS of 1.16, NiHPRO™ sets a new standard, indicating superior amino acid bioavailability/digestibility and EAA content and balance, critical for muscle synthesis and recovery.
Table 1. PDCAAS and DIAAS scores and the limiting amino acids of commonly used protein sources.
Protein source | PDCAAS | DIAAS | Limiting AA |
NiHPRO | 1.00 | 1.16 | His |
WPI90 | 1.00 | 1.09 | His |
WPC80 | 1.00 | 0.97 | His |
Soy protein isolate | 1.00 | 0.91 | Met + Cys |
Pea protein | 0.89 | 0.82 | Met + Cys |
Rice protein | 0.42 | 0.37 | Lys |
Values extracted from Rutherfurd and Moughan (2012) [4] extracted values using essential amino acid requirements for older children, adolescents, and adults.
Third-party research findings underscore that not all proteins are created equal. NiHPRO™ Protein Isolate stands out as the superior choice among leading protein ingredients, providing unmatched quality verified by the most accurate protein quality metric available: DIAAS. NiHTEK’s pioneering approach to utilizing DIAAS reflects its commitment to science-backed innovation and the delivery of premium-quality ingredients.
NiHTEK Science Team
Dr. Seiji Aoyagi
Chief Science Officer
Dr. Johan Thuvander
Chief Research Officer
References:
- Mathai, J.K., Liu, Y. and Stein H.H. Values for digestible indispensable amino acid scores (DIAAS) for some dairy and plant proteins may better describe protein quality than values calculated using the concept for protein digestibility-corrected amino acid scores (PDCAAS). British Journal of Nutrition. 2017;117(4):490-499. https://doi:10.1017/S0007114517000125
- Phillips, S.M. The impact of protein quality on the promotion of resistance exercise-induced changes in muscle mass. Nutr Metab (Lond)13, 64 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12986-016-0124-8
- Food Proteins CSIC:Link to research facility
- Rutherfurd SM, Moughan PJ. Available versus digestible dietary amino acids. Br J Nutr. 2012;108(Suppl 2):S298–305. doi: 10.1017/S0007114512002528
- Sousa, R., Recio, I., Heimo, D., Dubois, S., Moughan, P.J., Hodgkinson, S.M., Portmann, R. and Egger, L., In vitro digestibility of dietary proteins and in vitro DIAAS analytical workflow based on the INFOGEST static protocol and its validation with in vivo data, Food Chemistry, Volume 404, Part B, 2023, 134720, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134720.
- (2013). Dietary protein quality evaluation in human nutrition: report of an FAO expert consultation, 31 March-2 April 2011, Auckland, New Zealand. In FAO food and nutrition paper.
- Hewitson, H., Wheat, T., & Diehl, D. (2007). Amino acid analysis of pure protein hydrolysate with waters UPLC amino acid analysis solution. Waters: Milford, MA, USA.
- Jaudzems, G., Guthrie, J., Lahrichi, S., & Fuerer, C. (2019). Total amino acids by UHPLC–UV in infant formulasand adult nutritionals, first action 2018.06. Journal of AOAC International, 102(5), 1574-1588.
- Sousa, R., Recio, I., Heimo, D., Dubois, S., Moughan, P. J., Hodgkinson, S. M., … & Egger, L. (2023). In vitrodigestibility of dietary proteins and in vitro DIAAS analytical workflow based on the INFOGEST static protocol and its validation with in vivo data. Food Chemistry, 404, 134720.
