POP - The Power of Proteins Microlesson

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The Power of Proteins

As a nutrient, protein performs many functions in the body. An adequate dietary protein intake is important for building, maintaining, and repairing body tissues. The body's structural components, such as skin, muscles, bones, and organs, are made up in large part by protein . Your body needs 22 different types of amino acids to function properly.  

Quick Glance: The Number 22

What is so special about the number 22?

Your body needs 22 different types of amino acids to function properly. Most of them can be made by the body but others must be found in food. Protein is one of the most important nutrients for the overall mechanics of our body. There are plant and animal-based sources which help to provide complete or incomplete sources. Your protein requirement is based on your gender, age, and activity level.

Explore: What is a Protein?

Protein is one of the most important nutrients in our food because it is the building blocks of our body cells. 

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Protein has multiple functions:

  1. Build and repair body tissue.
  2. Maintain cell growth in the formation of new body tissue. This is especially important if the body is growing rapidly, injured, or under stress.
  3. Aid in the formation of enzymes, some hormones, and antibodies.
  4. Provide energy if sufficient carbohydrates and fats are not supplied by the diet.

You will learn a lot more about proteins in the video below.

 

As you can see from above, protein is vital to body functioning. It is important to get a fresh supply each day because we need to replace the wear and tear on body tissues. Protein can take the place of some fats and carbohydrates, but fat and carbohydrate cannot serve in place of the body's need for protein. That is why most active people need about their body weight in grams of protein daily to keep building lean muscle mass. 

Protein Needs

Protein needs are influenced by:

  1. age
  2. body size
  3. quality of the proteins
  4. physical state of the person

Protein molecules are made up of a chain of acids that contain carbon molecules called amino acids. There are 22 amino acids in the human body, and about 150 others found in plants and animals. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. There are several types of amino acids, but the two main groups that we focus on are the essential and the non-essential.

Amino Acids can be classified into two groups: Essential & Non-Essential. There are 22 amino acids found in the body. There are 13 non-essential amino acids that can be made by the body. This leaves 9 essential amino acids that much be supplied by the diet. The body must have these to grow new tissue and maintain health. The Essential Aminos: Lsoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine.  

Complete and Incomplete Proteins

So, what is the difference between a complete protein and incomplete protein? A complete protein contains all of these important amino acids. So, a person would not have to look elsewhere to get them. As for the incomplete amino acids, they don’t contain all 9 essential amino acids, or don’t have sufficient quantities of them to meet the body’s needs, and must be supplemented with other proteins.

Complete Proteins: Meat, Fish, Dairy, Quinoa, Buckwheat, Spirulina Incomplete Proteins: Nuts, Seeds, Legumes, Grains, Vegetables,  

Some good combinations are listed below. If these items are eaten together, they will form a complete protein and the body will have all the needed amino acids.

  • Rice and beans
  • Spinach salad with almonds
  • Hummus and whole-grain pitas
  • Whole-grain noodles with peanut sauce PlantProteins.png 

With all of this talk about animal products as a protein source, let’s not forget that many people choose to get their protein from plant sources. These people are known as Vegetarians. With careful planning, they can meet the protein requirement and eat complete proteins. There are 5 groups of Vegetarians:

  • Vegans: consume foods only from plant sources
  • Lacto-vegetarians: Eat foods from plant sources and dairy products
  • Ovo-vegetarians: eat foods from plant sources and eggs
  • Lacto-Ovo vegetarians: eat foods from plant sources, dairy products, and eggs
  • Semi-vegetarians: eat no red meat, but eat poultry and seafood

There are many benefits of using plants as a protein source. Plants are usually high in fiber and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. They need to pay close attention that they are not eating wasteful calories on bread, sweets, and non-nutritional items. They also need to take special care to ensure adequate consumption of certain vitamins and minerals like zinc, calcium, iron, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B12.

Challenge

So do you think you understand proteins? Try the challenge below to test your knowledge.

 

Takeaway: Too Much Of A Good Thing!

Is there such thing as too much protein?

OverMeat.png The FDA recommends about .5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For a person that is 150lbs, that would be 75 grams. However, many active people and weightlifters eat more than that. They eat close to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight or over. Is this safe? There is an argument about that. Most all nutritionists would say to eat a BALANCED diet. So, is it safe to consume this much protein? For some people, it does seem to be OK. Here are some risks of eating too much protein.

  1. Weight gain.  Excess calories from excess protein may be stored as body fat.
  2. Intestinal irritation.  Too much protein has been linked to constipation, diarrhea and/or excessive gas.
  3. Dehydration.  Experts advise drinking a half-gallon of water per 100 grams of protein.
  4. Increase in liver enzymes.
  5. Nutritional deficiencies.  Just focusing on protein intake causes some high-protein dieters to overlook other nutrients. Ensure that your diet is balanced and nutritious.
  6. Risk of heart disease if consuming high-fat protein.
  7. Kidney problems due to byproducts of higher nitrogen in the body.

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