Do the Amino Acids in Porcupine Bezoar Help with Wound Healing? (Part 1)

Common Misconception Clarified: The Repair Function of Porcupine Bezoars Does Not Come from Amino Acids

First, for wound healing, a complete protein (high-quality protein) must meet two key conditions:

1. It must contain all nine essential amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize and must obtain from food.
2. The content of all amino acids must be sufficient and in a proper ratio.

Although porcupine bezoars contain all essential amino acids, their actual content is extremely low.

Data shows that each gram of porcupine bezoar contains only 3.18 mg to 7.08 mg of amino acids, or 1.19 mg/g - 2.66 mg/g per portion. This is far lower than well-known high-quality protein sources such as:

• Eggs: 112 - 114 mg/g
• Fish: 7 - 96 mg/g
• Milk: 14 - 99 mg/g
• Tofu: 13 - 94 mg/g
• Chicken: 31 - 100 mg/g
• Red meat: 10 - 76 mg/g

Additionally, the typical adult dosage of porcupine bezoar is 1-3 portions per day, corresponding to a maximum intake of about 7.98 mg/g of amino acids daily. Compared to protein intake from daily diet, this is negligible. For example, a meal usually contains 50-100 g of meat, and daily milk intake is 300–500 ml, providing much more amino acids than porcupine bezoars.

Therefore, the trace amount of amino acids in porcupine bezoars cannot explain their remarkable repair effects, nor justify their use as a "protein supplement."

So what actually makes porcupine bezoars so effective for wound healing?

To learn more, continue reading the next article:

"Do the Amino Acids in Porcupine Bezoar Help with Wound Healing? (Part 2)"

References:

1. Dr Victor, The Revered Book of Porcupine Bezoar
2. Day, L., Cakebread, J., & Loveday, S., “Food proteins from animals and plants: Differences in the nutritional and functional properties”

Written by Dr Victor Team