What foods have the highest BV? A Guide to Biological Value and Protein Quality

October 18, 2025 •

2 min read

Egg protein is a gold standard for protein quality, historically assigned a biological value (BV) of 100 due to its ideal balance of essential amino acids. Understanding BV is a crucial part of any sound nutrition diet, as it measures how efficiently your body utilizes the protein you consume for growth and repair. This metric is especially important when evaluating which foods offer the best protein quality.

Quick Summary

The highest BV foods include whey protein, eggs, and dairy products, followed by high-quality plant-based options like soy and quinoa. Biological Value measures how well the body uses absorbed protein to build and repair tissue. Animal proteins generally have a higher BV than plant proteins, but combining complementary plant sources can boost protein quality.

Key Points

BV Measures Protein Quality: Biological Value (BV) quantifies how efficiently the body uses absorbed protein to support synthesis and repair.
Whey and Eggs Top the List: Whey protein and whole eggs are consistently ranked among the highest BV foods due to their complete amino acid profiles.
Animal Proteins are Generally Higher BV: Animal sources like milk, cheese, beef, and fish typically contain a more balanced profile of essential amino acids, leading to higher BV scores.
Plant Proteins Can Be High BV Too: Some plant sources, including soy, quinoa, and buckwheat, are considered complete proteins with high BV, making them great choices for a vegan or vegetarian nutrition diet.
Combining Plants Boosts BV: By combining different plant proteins, like rice and beans, you can create a complete amino acid profile and increase the overall BV of your meal.
A Varied Diet is Key: Eating a variety of protein sources, rather than focusing on a single number, ensures your body receives all the necessary amino acids for optimal function.

Understanding Biological Value (BV)

Biological Value (BV) is a metric used to assess the quality of a protein by measuring how efficiently the body utilizes the absorbed protein for synthesis and repair. A higher BV indicates a more complete protein, one that provides all nine essential amino acids in appropriate amounts. While BV is a traditional measure, other metrics like PDCAAS and DIAAS are also used in nutritional science today. Relative BV scores for some protein supplements can exceed 100 when compared to the egg protein benchmark of 100.

Foods with High BV

Certain foods are known for their high Biological Value due to their amino acid profiles. These include whey protein, often cited with relative BV scores exceeding 100, and whole eggs with a BV around 100. Human milk also has a high BV of 95.

High Biological Value Animal Proteins

Animal-based proteins generally offer high BV. Cow's milk has a BV of approximately 91, and cheese is around 84. Beef typically scores around 80, and chicken is close to 79. Fish provides a BV ranging from 76 to 83.

High Biological Value Plant Proteins

While plant proteins can vary, some are notable for their high BV. Soy protein has a BV around 74, quinoa is around 83, and buckwheat is over 90. Combining different plant sources, such as rice and beans, can create a complete protein profile with a higher effective BV. A diverse diet helps ensure adequate intake of all essential amino acids. For a comprehensive list of protein sources and their BV, refer to {Link: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_value}.

BV and Protein Quality Comparison Table

To see a comparison of various food sources and their approximate BV scores, including how combining plant proteins can achieve high BV, please consult {Link: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_value}.

Conclusion

Understanding what foods have the highest BV is helpful for optimizing your nutrition diet. While animal proteins like whey and eggs are top-tier, quality protein can also be obtained from high-BV plant sources such as quinoa and soy, or by combining various plant proteins. A diverse diet ensures you consume all essential amino acids needed for muscle repair, growth, and overall health. For more detailed information on protein sources, consult resources like the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's {Link: nutrition source https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/protein/}.

Frequently Asked Questions

BV measures the percentage of absorbed protein retained by the body, focusing on the amino acid profile. PDCAAS, a more modern metric, accounts for both amino acid content and digestibility, with a capped score of 1.0 that doesn't differentiate between top-tier proteins.

Yes, high BV foods are generally considered more effective for muscle building because they are rich in all essential amino acids, especially BCAAs like leucine. This supports more efficient protein synthesis and repair after exercise.

Yes, a plant-based diet can provide high BV protein. While individual sources like legumes or grains may have a lower BV, combining complementary proteins throughout the day ensures all essential amino acids are consumed. Soy, quinoa, and buckwheat are also complete plant proteins.

Cooking can affect the availability and digestibility of amino acids, which impacts the protein's overall usability by the body. Some preparation methods can damage or destroy certain essential amino acids, potentially lowering the effective BV of the food.

Whey protein has a high BV because it has an exceptional amino acid profile and is rapidly digested and absorbed by the body. This rapid release of amino acids, particularly BCAAs, is highly effective for stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

No. While eating a variety of high-quality protein sources is beneficial, your body can pool amino acids from different meals throughout the day to meet its needs. Focusing on a varied diet is more important than ensuring every single meal is a perfect high-BV mix.

Not necessarily. While BV measures protein quality, the 'protein package'—including fats, fiber, and other nutrients—also matters. A varied diet with both high-BV and complementary protein sources from plants and animals provides a wide range of health benefits.