Protein consists of amino acids and, with 4 kcal/100 g, is both an energy supplier and a cell building block. It is a building material for cells and tissue, for example muscle fibres, organs and blood. Enzymes, various hormones and the antibodies of the immune system are also made up of amino acids.
The biological value of proteins indicates how well dietary protein can be converted into the body's own protein. One whole egg serves as a reference with a value of 100. Basically, animal foods contain proteins with a high biological value, while plant foods contain proteins with a lower biological value.
Since different proteins complement each other, a higher biological value can be achieved by combining animal and plant food proteins. Oats have a biological value of 60, which can be significantly increased by being consumed with milk and milk products.
