Protein, Do you really need it?
Protein.
What is protein? Everybody automatically thinks meat, chicken, lamb and maybe eggs.
I recently had a conversation revolving around protein and this person was under the belief that it’s not necessary to have it in your diet. So my Naturopathic hat came off and my teacher hat came on. I am BIG on education. Knowledge is POWER.
So let’s take a look at Protein and why you need it. Every. Single. Day.
The word protein comes from the Greek word proteios which means primary or taking first place and is essential for a huge range of body functions as well as repair, growth and maintenance of body structures.
Lets get a little nerdy here, I promise it will be brief :)
Proteins are made up of amino acids that contain hydrogen, carbon, oxygen and nitrogen. Nitrogen makes up about 16% and eating protein from plants or animals is the way to obtaining useable nitrogen. The amino acids are linked via peptide bonds. Simple molecules containing 100 amino acids are referred to as peptides.
Proteins contain a combination of amino acids varying from 100 to many 1000 and the type and sequence controls the final shape and it’s function.There are more than 100, 000 different protein in the body. So it kind of makes sense that protein’s are ESSENTIAL.
There are 21 amino acids that are the building block of all protein’s in the body and you need all of them.
Some are called essential and some non essential amino acids. What this means is, the essential ones are needed through the diet. as the body can not make them at a rate sufficient for the body’s needs. Non essential amino acid can be synthesised (made) in the body given there is enough nitrogen from other amino acids. Not essential through your food but essential for normal body function.
Phew… hope I haven’t lost you and you are still reading?
Now to digest your protein you need hydrochloric acid (HCL) in the stomach which activates the enzyme pepsin to break it down. In the small intestines the smaller peptides are broken down even further so they can be absorbed through a transport system across the intestinal epithelial cell membrane. Then they are off on their merry way to other sites in the body to do their thing :0)
Now lets talk about the function of protein. These include:
Tissue growth, repair and maintenance.
Cell structure.
Regulation of metabolism. Enzymes are proteins. These facilitate biochemical reactions in the body which include energy production and digestion. Many hormones that regulate cell activities are proteins eg. insulin, oxytocin and growth hormone.
Muscle contraction.
Immunity. White blood cell formation need protein.
Transport. Proteins in cell membranes transport substances in and out of cells. Protein carriers in the blood stream transport insoluble substances such as lipids, fat soluble nutrients and trace elements.
Fluid balance.Helping to maintain normal blood pressure.
pH balance.
Brain function. Some proteins are converted to neurotransmitters for cognition and mood.
Energy production.
Detoxification and antioxidant protection.
Our bodies need all the amino acids to function properly. These are classed as essential and non essential. Complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids that are in the right ratio. Incomplete proteins are foods missing or low in one or more essential amino acid.
Complete Proteins:
Animal sources: eggs, dairy products, organ meats, meat, fish and poultry.
Plant sources: soybeans and soy products, quinoa, amaranth and spirulina.
Incomplete proteins:
Animal sources: gelatine.
Plant sources: legumes (except soy), most grains, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
If you are vegan it’s important to combine the incomplete proteins so that you are meeting the requirements.
For example; grains with dairy, grains with legumes, seeds with legumes. It is now thought that as long as you are having a range of these during the week you are meeting the requirements and having complete proteins.
Some examples of these combinations would be porridge with milk, chick pea and cracked wheat salad, seeds added to beans or lentils.
So I hope you are still with me and can see why its so important to meet the requirements for protein.
Men need approximately 64 grams per day.
Women need approximately 46 grams per day.
Do you know how much protein is in individual foods?
Per 100 grams eggs has about 12 grams, cheeses 24 grams, grains 2-3 grams and legumes 20-25 grams.
What affects the body status?
Low levels of stomach acid reduces absorption, in kidney disease proteins are lost in urine, it can affect metabolism if protein is low, zinc deficiency affects the digestion of proteins. Different stages of life require different needs, Such as pregnancy, children, infants, weight training, trauma, surgery and emotional stress.
The majority of people don’t reach their requirements of protein.
I hope this has been helpful in understanding the importance of having enough protein in your diet.
I have a free protein guide to help you so make sure you sign up to our newsletter to receive your free PDF.
Until next time,
Stay well and hears to a healthier version of you,
Jennie x
References
Paxton, F. (2015). Foundations of Naturopathic Nutrition. Allen & Unwin.
Whitney, E., Rolfes, S., Crowe, T., Cameron-Smith, D. and Walsh, A. (2017). Understanding Nutrition. Cengage Learning.
