What is protein complementation? Explain with examples

Answer 1

Diets of people who eat only plant based foods may be limited to incomplete proteins. Diverse foods with different incomplete proteins can be combined to provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids. This dietary practice, called protein complementation, is customary around the world, especially in regions that traditionally rely heavily on plant-based foods for protein. Examples of commonly consumed foods whose proteins complement each other are rice and beans, or corn and beans. Both rice and corn have several limiting amino acids (for example, lysine) but provide adequate amounts of others (for example, methionine). By contrast, dried beans and other legumes tend to be limiting in methionine but provide adequate amounts of lysine. In general, protein complementation allows diets containing a variety of plant-based protein sources to provide all of the necessary essential amino acids.