Download What are Proteins?

What Are Proteins?
Protein provides the structure for pretty much
every part of our body from cells, muscle, cartilage and ligaments to bones, organs, hair, nails
and skin. Protein also performs specific activities
in different forms in our body such as enzymes,
hormones, antibodies, hemoglobin (blood) and
growth and maintenance proteins. Protein can
also be used as an energy source when the body
is low on carbohydrates, but this is not the body’s
first choice.
Proteins are made up of building blocks called
amino acids. There are two types of proteins
that we need: non-essential and essential.
Non-essential proteins can be synthesized in our
bodies while essential proteins can only be supplied by the food we eat.
How Much Do I Need?
Protein needs vary for different life stages but
for adult men it is 58g while for adult women it
is 46g. People in industrialized societies don’t
have a problem getting the protein they need
from their diet; in fact they usually get too much!
Protein sources are classified as complete or incomplete based on the amino acids they contain.
Complete proteins contain all of the essential
amino acids you need while incomplete might be
missing a few of them. Animal proteins are the
best source of complete protein; you can meet
your protein needs by eating 6oz of meat from
beef, chicken, turkey, tuna, or pork.
Vegetarians
However, if you are vegetarian or just don’t eat
that much meat, it is still possible
to get the protein you need. Pairing up two foods that are sources
of protein, but may be incomplete
in one or more amino acids, are
called complementary proteins.
There are three categories of
complementary proteins: grains, legumes and
nuts/seeds.
Grains
Barley
Bulgur
Cornmeal
Oats
Buckwheat
Rye
Rice
Wheat
Nuts/Seeds
Sesame
Sunflower
Walnut
Cashews
Almonds
Other Seeds
Legumes
Beans
Lentils
Dried Peas
Peanuts
Chickpeas
Soy Products
By pairing up foods from the different columns
you can make a complete protein. An example
would be having a peanut butter sandwich on
whole wheat bread, beans and rice, or a whole
wheat bun with sesame seeds.
Do I Need a Supplement?
There are a lot of protein powders and pills out
there geared for people to get more protein with
the idea of building more muscle. While protein
is important in building muscle there is only so
much protein our bodies need. When that need
is met then the excess protein is sent to our kidneys to be excreted in urine. Unless you are not
getting the protein you need from your diet there
is no need to use supplements as not only is it
more expensive than eating a chicken breast for
lunch but it is just being excreted.
For more information:
Center for Disease Control- Good overall information on proteins
USDA’s MyPlate- Information on protein content
in foods and list of food choices
The Vegetian Resource Group- Information for
vegetarians on protein