Protein Need

Human Body Need Protein

Protein found in meat, eggs, dairy products, and some other foods, is essential for growth and repair of the body. The body uses protein to build muscle, hair, teeth, nails, bones, nerve cells, hemoglobin and enzymes. There are also special proteins, known as nucleic acids, in your body. The job of these nucleic acids, which include RNA, or ribonucleic acid, and DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is to transmit hereditary characteristics.

Obtaining the protein building blocks you need

Protein is made up of twenty two different amino acids, the “building blocks” of the body. Of these twenty two, eight are called essential amino acids, because the body cannot manufacture food. The body can make the other fourteen amino acids.

All eight essential amino acids must be present in your body at the same time in order for the body to form protein. Since free amino acids cannot be stored in the body, these mean that you must consume the eight essential acids at approximately the same time, preferably at the same meal, for your body to use them.

How to get the protein you need?

One way is to include foods of animal origin meat, eggs, dairy product in your daily diet. The protein in these foods is known as complete protein. It contains all eight of the essential amino acids.

You can also get your protein from plant foods. However, protein of plant origin (in vegetable and grains) is almost invaritably incomplete protein. That is, it lacks one or more essential amino acids. You can combine plant protein, either with each other in specific combination or with animal protein, to form complete protein. Familiar example include cereal and milk, macaroni and cheese, rice and beans, a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread.