WHAT IS PROTEIN?
Chemically, protein is made of a combination of amino acids.
Once inside the body, these amino acids are used to make new proteins including enzymes and hormones, and to generate energy (about 10% is obtained from protein
but only when fasting, exhaustive exercising, or inadequate calorie intake).
Essential Amino Acids
Are the ones that must come from a food source.
There are 9 of them: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Nonessential Amino Acids
Are the ones that our bodies produce.
There are 12 of them: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine.
WHAT IS A COMPLETE PROTEIN?
Complete Protein is a protein source that contains all twenty-plus types of amino acids
needed to make new proteins in the body.
Examples: Fish, poultry, beef, pork, eggs, and dairy.
From vegetarian sources: Quinoa, Hemp Seeds, Chia, Tofu, and our lovely Rice and Beans combo!
WHAT IS AN INCOMPLETE PROTEIN?
It is a protein source that lacks one or more of the nine essential amino acids.
Examples: Nuts and Seeds, Legumes and Vegetables.
PROTEIN FUNCTIONS
The main function of protein is to grow and maintain tissues.
Provides Structure
Some proteins are fibrous and provide cells and tissues with stiffness and rigidity.
These proteins include keratin, collagen, and elastin, which help form the connective framework of certain structures in your body.
Causes Biochemical Reactions
Enzymes are proteins that facilitate the thousands of biochemical reactions within and outside your cells, like digestion and muscle contraction.
Acts as a Messenger
Some proteins are hormones, which are chemical messengers that aid communication between your cells, tissues, and organs. For example, insulin controls our blood sugar concentration by regulating the uptake of glucose into cells.
Strengthens Immune Health
Antibodies are proteins in your blood that help protect your body from harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses.
Transports and Stores Nutrients
Proteins carry substances throughout your bloodstream — into cells, out of cells, or within cells. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries oxygen from your lungs to body tissues. Proteins also have storage roles such as Ferritin is a storage protein that stores iron.
Maintains Proper pH
Protein plays a vital role in regulating the concentrations of acids and bases in your blood and other bodily fluids.
EXCESS OF PROTEIN - MYTHS
Kidney Damage
Eating more protein does increase how much your kidneys have to work.
Individuals with chronic kidney disease should not consume higher than recommended amounts of protein. However, protein hasn’t been shown to cause damage in healthy individuals. High-protein diets do result in increased metabolic waste being excreted in the urine, though, so it’s particularly important to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
Liver Damage
People with liver damage (such as cirrhosis) are told to eat less protein.
If your liver is healthy, then a high-protein diet will not cause damage.
Osteoporosis
Calcium loss in urine increases with higher protein intakes. That finding made some people think that eating more protein will cause osteoporosis because you’re losing bone calcium.
However, there is no evidence that high protein causes osteoporosis.
Intakes at or above the recommendation for protein play a key role in bone health and possible osteoporosis prevention!
EXCESS OF PROTEIN - FACTS
Heart Disease
Eating lots of red meat and full-fat dairy foods as part of a high-protein diet may lead to heart disease. This could be related to higher intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol. Choosing plant-based protein sources over higher-fat animal ones improves overall heart health.
Cancer
Cancer risk is associated with protein but in regards to specific protein foods, not with overall intake. Studies have shown that certain high-protein diets that are particularly high in red and/or processed meats are linked to an increased risk of various health issues, including colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer. Consuming protein from plant-based sources is associated with a decreased risk for most cancers!
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED?
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) recommends that 10 to 35 percent of daily calories come from protein.
How that equates to grams of protein depends on gender, age,
caloric needs, level of physical activity, and fitness goals.
A safe level of protein ranges from 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram for very active athletes.
Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 and then multiply that by 0.8 to get the minimum amount of protein your body requires, in grams.
For example, a 140lbs woman would want about 50g of protein per day and a 180lbs man would need about 65g.
If you're lifting weights regularly or are training for an endurance event, The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends bumping your protein intake up to 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound.
LACK OF PROTEIN
The effects of protein deficiency and malnutrition range in severity from growth failure and loss of muscle mass to decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and bone mass loss - bones aren’t just inert sticks of minerals, a significant proportion of bone is also protein, mostly collagen-type proteins.
PROTEIN SOURCES
Available evidence indicates that it’s the source of protein, rather than the amount of protein, that makes a difference in our health.
Eating healthy protein sources like nuts and seeds, beans, fish, or poultry in place of red meat and processed meat can lower the risk of heart disease.
Eating more red and/or processed meat is associated with colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer.
Consuming protein from plant-based sources is associated with a decreased risk for most cancers and heart disease.
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