Understanding Protein

Introduction

Protein is an important part of a healthy diet – it’s the building block of your cells and therefore is utilized in every system of your body.

There is a lot of nutritional disagreement about protein and the amount of protein that a person needs in their diet.

Some people believe that the standard American diet is too high in protein, while others strongly believe that the average person is not getting nearly enough protein in their diet for health.

The truth, as is often the case, probably sits somewhere in the middle.

The key is likely to make sure that you’re:

1. Eating high-quality protein.
2. Getting protein from a variety of sources.
3. Balancing your protein with a good healthy dose of plants (e.g. fruits, nuts, seeds, veggies, and whole grains).

It’s also imperative that you pay attention to not only what you put into your body, but also how your body responds to it, because there are sure fire signs that you’re not getting enough protein.

This guide takes a look at:

• Why protein is so important to your health and well-being.
• Understanding the different types of protein.
• Sources of protein – because meat isn’t your only option.
• Determining how much protein you need to reach your goals.
• How to know if you’re not getting enough protein.
• How to get more protein.
• Great protein smoothie recipes.
• And much more!

Let’s get started.

What Is Protein And Why Does Your Body Need It?

The human diet comprises many different types of nutrients – we need carbohydrates, fat, minerals, and vitamins.

And we also need protein. In fact, without protein, we cannot survive.

Protein is the foundation of your body and health – every single cell in your body needs protein. From your DNA to the enzymes in your body and your bones, your body uses protein at every level.

Healing

There are actually a few different ways that protein helps your body heal.

When talking about muscle repair (e.g. after a hard workout), your body needs haemoglobin, which is a protein that carries oxygen to the tissues in your body.

It also needs both myoglobin and elastin to make the muscle repairs, and they are the two primary proteins in the fibres of your muscles.

Additionally, protein plays a key role in your immune system.

Antibodies are a blood protein produced in response to and counteracting a specific antigen. Antibodies combine chemically with substances that the body recognizes as alien, such as bacteria, viruses, and foreign substances in the blood.

In non-medical terms, this means that your immune system, when it senses a foreign body such as a virus, puts together a response – and this response, called an antibody, is a protein.

Energy

Protein also makes up enzymes, which undertake a number of important tasks in your body.

One of them is to break down food in your digestive system – when food is broken down, it’s converted to energy for your cells and tissues.

Many enzymes also need specific minerals and vitamins to function in your body.

And we’ve already mentioned that haemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen to your cells and tissues – and oxygen is required for your cells to make energy.

Hormones

The function of a hormone is as a messenger, and different hormones send different chemical messages to your organs.

For example, progesterone tells the female uterus to begin preparing for pregnancy.

And adrenaline and cortisol are hormones that shift your body’s systems to support freeze, fight, or flight in a stressful situation.

Metabolism

Proteins also send chemical messages between your nerve cells and regulate your metabolism.

The more balanced your hormones, the better your overall health and well-being. For example, insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels, is also a hormone.

And guess what? Your hormones are protein-based.

Skin, Hair, Nails, Bones And Blood

Your bones are made up of protein, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate.

Strong bones, beautiful skin, hair, and nails all require a good amount of protein to create and maintain.

Collagen is one example of a skin protein. And your blood, as mentioned, is protein and iron – haemoglobin.

“Hemoglobin is the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. Hemoglobin is made up of four protein molecules (globulin chains) that are connected together.” (Source: Medicinenet.com)

Muscles

Finally, your muscles consist of muscle fibres.

Myelin and elastin are two muscle-based proteins, and at a cellular level your muscles and tissues are protein as well.

Each cell in your body contains DNA coding for protein.

Understanding The Different Types Of Protein

Now that you know how protein affects your body, and we’ve really only scratched the surface of that topic, it’s time to move on and discuss the different types of protein.

After that, we’ll be able to discuss where to get your protein, as well as how much you need to achieve your personal health goals.

When it comes to protein, things can be quite complicated. In fact, there are up to 50,000 different proteins in the human body, which are made from sequences of what are called “amino acids”, so let’s take a look at what an amino acid is and then explore the differences in types of protein.

What Is An Amino Acid?

An amino acid is a single molecule. The molecules are programmed by your DNA. For example, if you call one amino acid A, one B, one C and so on then your DNA can organize them in a number of combinations. Each combination is a different type of protein. That’s why there are so many different proteins.

There are 21 amino acids:

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