Protein
Protein is a highly complex substance that is usually present in every kind of living organism. Proteins have great nutritional value for many living organisms and their involvement is direct in the many chemical reactions that are essential for any form of life. Proteins are the largest unit of cells in any organism because of their size and weight. Proteins are usually involved in all cell functions and different types of proteins are responsible for different tasks from basic cellular support to cell Signaling and Locomotion. Protein plays an important part in maintaining overall health. It helps you to increase muscle mass and strengthening your bones. It helps to lower blood pressure and improving sleep and brain health. Protein plays a major role in just about every function of your body.
If someone is trying to understand that why Protein is essential for us, then that someone first needs to understand exactly what actually protein is. Protein is known as a macronutrient which we need in large amounts along with carbohydrates and fats in order to provide our body with the energy required in order to perform different functions. Protein is really necessary for building muscle mass in our body. The statement “Protein builds muscle,” means that it is the human body that breaks down Proteins that we consume and converts them into Amino acids. These Amino acids are synthesized/absorbed into your muscle. Amino acids are actually the “building blocks of Protein” which are compounds that are responsible for various processes of our body, which includes neurological processes and muscle synthesis etc. According to research, 80% of human muscles is made up of amino acid.
When we are talking about Protein, there are actually twenty types of Amino acids are present in a single molecule of protein. Some Amino acids are naturally produced by our body while there are other kinds of Amino acids that our body doesn't produce and we need to consume them in order to provide our body the required energy. The amino acids that are naturally produced by our body are called Non-Essential Amino acids and those which are produced by consuming certain foods are called Essential Amino acids. Proteins that are of similar function usually have similar amino acid composition and sequence in them.
When it comes to the types of Proteins, there are seven different Proteins types under which all Proteins fall and these types include Antibodies, Contractile Proteins, Enzymes, Hormonal Proteins, Structural Proteins, Storage Proteins, and Transport Proteins. Antibodies are known as the specialized proteins that are responsible for defending the body against Diseases and Germs. It is their ability to travel into the Bloodstream which enables them to cooperate with the Immune System in order to identify and protect us against Bacteria, Viruses, and other Germs in our blood. Contractile proteins are responsible for the contraction of muscles and movements in our body. Enzymes are actually kind of Proteins that facilitate and speed up chemical reactions occurring in our body, which is why they are known as Catalysts. Catalysts are responsible for the Digestion of food that we consume.
Structural proteins look fibrous and stringy, and it is this formation that makes them ideal for supporting many other Proteins. Storage Proteins as the name indicates are actually the reserves of Amino acids stored in the body until it requires for use. Transport Proteins as the name implies, are carrier Proteins that are responsible for moving molecules from one point to another in the human body. The example of Transport Protein is commonly known as Hemoglobin. It's Hemoglobin's responsibility for transporting Oxygen through the blood through red blood cells.
Now after learning about the nutritional importance of Protein for our body, it is also important to know that how can you can get Protein from different food sources. There are two major sources of Protein i.e. Animal Protein and Plant Protein. The Nutritional importance of a certain protein can be judged by the amount of Amino acid present in it. Actually, the main difference between Animal and Plant Protein can be judged by the types of Amino acids that are present in a certain Protein source. Animal Protein is considered a Complete Source of Protein because it has all kinds of Amino acids present in it. While Plant Protein is considered a Non-Complete Protein because it doesn't have all kinds of Amino acids inside.
For those people who don't like Animal Protein e.g. Vegan, Vegetarian, there is an alternative available. As it is mentioned above that the difference between Animal and Plant Protein is the Amino Acid Profile. You can get the Amino acids that are not present inside the Plant Protein source, by Supplementing Plant Protein with additional Amino acids. As the names of the two types of Proteins indicate you can get Animal Protein from Animals and Plant Protein can be obtained from Plants.
Animal Protein can be obtained from:
- Meat ( Beef, Mutton, etc)
- Poultry (Chicken, eggs, etc)
- Seafood (Fish, Crab, Lobster, Oysters, etc)
- Dairy (Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Dairy products, etc)
Plant Protein can be obtained from:
- Dry Fruit (Almond, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Cashew, etc.)
- Seeds ( Pumpkin, Sunflower, Sesame, etc.)
- Lentils ( All kinds of Lentils)
- Beans ( All kinds of beans)
The research shows that a person should consume 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day. If you are bodybuilding or trying to put on some muscle, you should increase your protein intake to 2-3 grams per kilogram of your bodyweight. Protein is not just important for bodybuilders only, but if you are recovering from an injury, your body actually goes in a higher metabolic state and it requires more energy and tissue-building nutrients. So you have to increase your protein intake in order to support the healing process. Protein is unbelievably important to human health, not only for building bigger muscles, but also to heal better from injuries, aging better, and prevent certain disease conditions.
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