The very first example that this study says is "false or unproven" uses ambiguous language at best:
> Animal protein is healthier than plant-based protein.
All commonly consumed sources of animal protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, etc.) are complete proteins, meaning they provide all essential amino acids. This is not true for all sources of plant-based protein. In addition, "protein" as is often used to indicate a part of a meal (I mean not just the technical definition of a chain of amino acids). Vegans are nearly always advised to supplement with B12 because good plant protein sources like legumes are poor sources of B12.
I understand what the study is getting at with the question, for as far as I am aware there are no studies that show that getting, say, 10 grams of complete protein from animals is any different from getting 10 grams of complete protein from plants. Still, given this question is easily ambiguous for valid definitions of "healthier", I find this study suspect, despite having no problem with the general idea that tons of people believe absolute batshit insane ideas about health and nutrition.
- Human amino acid requirements vary with age, physical condition, and physiological state. PDCAAS and DIAAS use a young child as reference pattern.
- Amino acid proportion also varies across animal foods: eggs closely match the child pattern, while beef is slightly lower in tryptophan.[0]
- Some plant proteins are considered complete above scoring systems: soy, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, hemp, chia, and potato protein, though potatoes themselves are low in protein/carb.
And if you eat a somewhat varied vegan diet, you don't need to care about whether you consume complete or proteins or not, as they complement each other.
Just like if one type of food had the perfect proportion of fat, carbs and protein, it doesn't mean it's better than a varied diet of foods that are way off in that proportion, but in different directions. (Obviously a "perfect proportion" doesn't exist and varies from people to people, but I used it for the example.)
> Animal protein is healthier than plant-based protein.
All commonly consumed sources of animal protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, etc.) are complete proteins, meaning they provide all essential amino acids. This is not true for all sources of plant-based protein. In addition, "protein" as is often used to indicate a part of a meal (I mean not just the technical definition of a chain of amino acids). Vegans are nearly always advised to supplement with B12 because good plant protein sources like legumes are poor sources of B12.
I understand what the study is getting at with the question, for as far as I am aware there are no studies that show that getting, say, 10 grams of complete protein from animals is any different from getting 10 grams of complete protein from plants. Still, given this question is easily ambiguous for valid definitions of "healthier", I find this study suspect, despite having no problem with the general idea that tons of people believe absolute batshit insane ideas about health and nutrition.