Understanding Protein and Protein Sources

By Kyla Miller;

The most powerful tool to restore and maintain your health and vitality is education.  It is one of the most important tools each of us has in order to understand how food effect’s not only our body, but every aspect of our personal lives.

Protein plays a key role in helping our bodies achieve optimal health and vitality.

What is Protein?

Protein is classified as one of three macronutrients (along with carbohydrates and fats) and is an essential part of nutrition. The molecular structure of protein contains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, while fats and carbohydrates are made up only of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Protein is second only to water in the body’s physical composition and makes up approximately 20% of our body weight. It is a primary component of our muscles, hair, nails, skin, eyes, and internal organs – especially the heart (muscle) and brain.
 

Why is Protein Needed?
   
As most are aware, protein is needed for growth and the maintenance of body tissues. As previously mentioned, it makes structural components of the body like muscles, hair, nails, skin, eyes and internal organs. It is therefore vitally important during childhood, pregnancy and lactation. During times of healing, illness, and after surgery, injuries, burns, or blood loss, we require more protein production to assist in the regeneration of cells and tissues.
 
Protein is also used in building four necessary substances. Enzymes are protein substances that stimulate a multitude of biochemical reactions. Hemoglobin is an iron-bearing protein that is the key component of red blood cells. It is the molecule that carries oxygen to tissues in the body. Hormones are also formed from protein. Two of the primary protein hormones are insulin, which regulates blood sugar, and thyroid hormone, which regulates our metabolic rate. Finally, protein plays a major role in our immunity when it initiates the formation of antibodies in response to foreign intruders (called antigens) in the body. A specific antibody is formed in order to bind with a specific antigen and inactivate it, contributing to a strong and healthy immune system.
 
Proteins help to keep the correct amount of water in cells. They also help to maintain our body’s essential sodium and potassium balance, responsible for normal muscle and nerve cell formation. This balance also aids the heart, lungs and nervous system to function properly.
 
Proteins have the ability to act as buffers and can help to normalize the acid-alkaline balance in the body. It does this by helping to eliminate excess hydrogen ions, which are a part of acids. If functioning properly, the pH of the blood is kept near constant at about 7.4.
 
Protein supplies 4 calories per gram and, in extreme circumstances, can be used as energy. The body will first use carbohydrates and fats for energy, but if these sources are low, it will burn dietary protein. If dietary protein is also low, the body will break down its own tissue proteins (muscles) to meet its energy needs.