Protein in Your Diet is Essential to Maintain Good Health
The main protein foods include
- Eggs
- Dairy Products, Cheese, and Whey
- Fish
- Tofu
- Nuts and seeds
Why is Protein Important for Health?
Protein is a nutrient needed by the human body for growth and maintenance. Aside from water, it is the most abundant molecule in the body. Protein is found in all cells of the body and is the major structural component of all cells, especially muscle. Protein is an essential component of all body organs, cartilage, hair, nails, and skin.
The immunoglobulins that make up your immune system are also proteins.
Protein is involved in the regulation of blood sugar levels, hormone and enzyme production as well as red blood cell production.
Adequate protein is, therefore, essential for health and well being including the functioning of the immune system.
How Much Protein Do You Need?
The National Academy of Medicine suggests that just over 7 grams of protein is required per 20 pounds of body weight.
For example, a person weighing 200 pounds needs approximately 70 grams of protein a day.
Therefore, it would seem sensible to look at protein levels in foods to see precisely how much protein you are or are not eating.
Some examples include
- Eggs -1 large boiled egg 6 grams of protein
- Chicken breast 3oz-17 grams of protein
- Cheddar cheese 1 oz-7 grams of protein
- Ground Beef 4oz -24 grams of protein
- Tofu 3.5oz-6.5
These levels are approximate as different cooking methods may affect protein levels slightly.
Protein Powders can deliver approx. 20 grams of protein per serving, but they will vary depending on the source of protein.
Can You Have too Much Protein?
It is vital to have adequate protein but not excess protein. Excess protein may cause digestive problems such as constipation, bloating, and indigestion. Excess proteins can convert into fat stores.
Excess protein may also put stress on your kidneys and contribute to inflammation if you are not able to metabolize it properly.
Protein is essential for health, but like most things, it’s about balance.
What Makes up a Protein Food?
Protein Foods are made up of polymer chains composed of amino acids. These amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds.
Amino acids are divided into either essential amino acids or non-essential amino acids.
The list of essential amino acids, which must be from food sources, is
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Valin
- lysine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Histidine.
non-essential amino acids can be made by the body from other amino acids.
The non-essential amino acids are
- Arginine
- Alanine
- Asparagine
- Aspartic acid
- Cysteine
- Glutamine
- Glutamic acid
- Glycin
- Proline
- Serine
- Tyrosine.
Protein foods are broken down in the stomach during digestion by enzymes known as proteases into smaller polypeptides to provide amino acids for the body. This includes the essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body itself. Thus, protein foods from your diet should provide both essential and non-essential amino acids for protein synthesis.
Most animal and certain vegetable protein foods are considered complete protein foods with a full complement of essential amino acids in adequate proportions. People who avoid animal products may need to practice food combining to get the essential amino acids in their diet.
Can Protein Powders Help you Get Adequate Protein Levels?
Protein powders have become more popular as a way to supplement dietary protein intake.
Protein powders traditionally derived their protein from whey. However, it is now commonplace to find vegan options, which include rice, soy, and pea protein. Although vegetables deliver less protein, the process of protein extraction allows significant protein levels to be present in these vegan options.
Protein powders may provide an additional source of protein for exercising muscles. The type of protein is important in terms of its influence on protein metabolic response and possibly on the muscle’s exercise performance.
Good quality protein powders can be a great addition to your diet if you find it hard to get adequate protein from your food. They can also be helpful if you have trouble with your blood sugar balance as they can help keep blood sugar levels stable.
Always read the labels because some protein powders also contain high levels of carbohydrates, which may not be beneficial to you.
Protein Foods Function in Exercise
Protein foods are one of the key nutrients for success in terms of sports. They play a significant role in response to exercise. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which builds new tissue, including muscle, and repairing damaged tissues. However, they only provide a small source of fuel for the exercising muscles, being used as fuel typically only when carbohydrates and lipid resources are low
In Summary
Protein Foods are essential macros for your health, and it is worth looking at your levels of protein intake to make sure you are getting enough for your needs.