Why You Need Protein

Any bookshelf containing diet books is likely to have at least one that counsels the reader to cut sugar or fat or carbohydrates completely out of the menu. Some of these books may advocate a diet completely free of meat; others will tell its readers not to eat dairy, or foods that cause gas, or foods that start with the letter S... you get the idea. You will never see a book that tells you not to eat protein. Why is this?

- Protein is a vital nutrient that everybody needs to function.

- Protein is everywhere and comes from so many sources, it would be fairly impossible to avoid eating any.

- No protein at all, or even too little protein, can be very dangerous to your health.

The truth is, you don't have to cut out any type of food at all - not even fat, sugar or carbohydrates. A balanced diet with all kinds of food is ideal for a healthy lifestyle. The extreme diets that advise people to stop eating carbohydrates and eat only protein are not necessary, and in some cases, dangerous. You don't have to resort to an all-liquid protein diet, either. Protein is necessary for survival, but so are carbohydrates and fats! All three are necessary, in the right proportions and amounts, for the best possible health you can have.

What Protein Does for You

You have probably heard that protein builds muscle. It does - but it does a whole lot more besides that. You might have also heard that protein does not cause anyone to get fat. Any food you eat that does not become energy can become fat. Every cell in your body need protein - your hair, skin and nails, as well as your muscles and organs. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which all do different things in different body processes. It all starts with digestion.

Any food you eat is broken down during the digestive process and converted to glycogen for short-term energy use or into fat for long-term energy use. All food, whether fat, carbohydrates or proteins, gets the same treatment at this point. A calorie is just a calorie, no matter what its source. Certain foods will cause in increased production of insulin, especially foods that are highly processed or greasy. These calories tend to be stored as fat all the time.

This means that foods that cause a slower insulin surge are best to help avoid putting on the pounds. These foods include complex carbohydrates, certain healthy types of fat, and protein sources that are low in fat. There are some very good protein supplements which can also slow things down if used as a between meal snack or consumed during a meal. When food is absorbed slowly, it causes a more even rise in blood sugar levels, which means less food converted and stored as fat.

Digestion breaks any protein down into its basic components - amino acids. Many of these amino acids cannot be manufactured by the human body, which means they must be provided by outside sources of protein. These are known as the eight essential amino acids and they include leucine, isoleucine, valine, theronine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and lysine. Children need an additional essential amino acid known as histidine.

Sources of Protein

Protein can be derived from both plants and animals. Today, it also comes in a number of different supplements, which is a much more convenient way of gaining protein for many. Nutrition is sometimes a difficult goal when confronted with a busy schedule.

Animal sources of protein include:

- Meats, lean poultry, lean cuts of beef, and similar meats are the best.

- Eggs

- Dairy products, particularly milk and cheese.

Plant sources of protein include:

- Beans

- Nuts and seeds

- Soybeans and products derived from soybeans.

Protein supplements include:

- Powders

- Liquid protein shots

- Protein shakes

- Protein bars

How Protein Affects Your Health Overall

Protein is needed by every cell in the body for building and growing and regeneration, but it also helps your body feel full after eating, as well as helping prevent a number of health conditions and diseases. Some of these conditions are:

- Aging: Adults over the age of 55 will need about a third more protein than the average person between the ages of 19 and 54.

- Bedsores, burns, trauma and other problems related to the skin: People who are likely to develop bedsores, or who already suffer from them, will need twice the usual amount of protein to promote healing. Increasing protein before any bedsores develop may help to prevent them entirely.

- HIV: Those who are HIV positive should first increase their consumption of liquids. This helps medications and macronutrients circulate through the body, while also providing extra calories to give the body energy and strength. Protein plays a role in strengthening the immune system. The extra protein can cause dehydration, which is another reason why extra fluids are so important.

Protein as a Part of Your Diet

Protein has the ability to help you feel full and help you feel full longer, which helps cut down on overeating. It also increases thermogenesis, the ability of the body to create heat during digestion. The average person has about an eight percent increase in body temperature after eating a meal, while those who are taking fewer calories have thermogenesis of about four to five percent. This breaks down to about three percent for fats, 10% for carbohydrates and 30% for proteins. Out of everything people eat, only alcohol increases thermogenesis as much as protein.

A lack of protein will cause you to crave the right foods until you have enough. Unfortunately, eating too much of anything while trying to get the right nutrients will cause weight gain eventually. Increasing your intake of protein can help with this because it allows you to feel fuller on less food.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to eat and not ever have any protein because it can be found in both plant and animal sources. Your body even produces some forms of protein. Other forms must be consumed in food or supplements, however. Without it, your body will try to get it from whatever source possible, leading to weight gain.

About Protica Research

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com

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