A Salute to PVT TIM HiLL: Indispensable amino acids and global human health

Students are taught the study mnemonic PVT TIM HiLL to memorize nineindispensable amino acids (IAA); Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Tryptophan,Isoleucine, Methionine, Histidine, Leucine, and Lysine.  The Food and Animal Organization (FAO)recommended IAA be treated as individual nutrients on food labels because‘crude protein’ alone does not indicate protein quality.  Protein quality, determined by digestible IAAscore (DIAAS) is calculated for three life stages; birth to 6 months; 6 monthsto 3 years, and 3 years and older.  Foodspossessing DIAAS greater than 100 are “excellent” protein quality, DIAASbetween 75 and 99 are ‘good’, while foods with DIAAS < 75 cannot make aprotein claim.  Processing, heating,and(or) grinding can decrease or improve plant and animal IAA digestibility.For children six months to three years, ground pork, smoked-cooked bacon,cooked pork leg, cured ham, cooked pork loin, salami, beef/pork bologna, beefjerky, and medium and medium rare beef ribeye steaks can be described‘excellent’.  Cooked ground beef can beclassified as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ depending on the study, while theImpossible and Beyond meat-alternative burgers and well-done ribeye can beclassified as ‘good’ sources of IAA for young children.  For persons > 3 years, all meat categoriesbut cooked ground beef can be classified ‘excellent’ sources of IAA.  For meat alternatives, Impossible Burger®could be classified as ‘excellent’ but Beyond Burger® could only claim to be‘good’.  Protein quality claims forindividual food ingredients can be diminished when consumed with a lowerprotein quality item such as a wheat flour bun. To provide meals that are adequate in all IAA, the protein quality ineach food item must be determined.  Mixedmeals must be adjusted for protein quality by combining low quality proteins(present in cereals and grains) with higher quality proteins (present in foodsof animal origin).