Anyone trying to follow healthy diets - No matter the base or sources of their nutrients - Knows well the importance of getting protein at a steady daily rate to keep their muscle mass, and to stop their body from breaking it down when hungry. Not eating enough protein daily causes health problems, This article generally talks about what happens to protein inside the body.
First: What is protein made of?
Protein, like other nutrients such as carbs and fats, is made of hydrogen and oxygen but has more nitrogen. So, it's made from amino acids - the building blocks of protein. When two or more amino acids join with chemical bonds, they're called peptides, To understand how protein is digested in the body, read this The article.
Second: What are the types of protein?
Protein can be classified in more than one way. but here we'll classify it by source, which is divided into two types:
- Protein made naturally inside the body, meaning you don't have to get it from food, and protein food sources.
- Protein obtained from external food sources, or what’s called essential proteins, which are a set of proteins we need in daily food since the body can't make them, and missing them puts our health at risk because protein is the most important nutrient ever.
Third: What are the daily protein needs of the body?
Your daily protein needs depend on your weight and your body's makeup, and most studies say adults need 0.8 grams of protein per 1 kg of their body weight. That means:
- If your body weight is 68 kg, your daily protein need is 55 grams.
- If your body weight is 90 kg, then your daily protein need is 72 grams.
- If Your body weight equals 54 kg, so your daily protein need is 43 grams.
Fourth: What's the relationship between protein synthesis and breakdown?
This relationship is called (protein turnover), and it's divided into two main processes:
- Protein synthesis process
- Protein breakdown process
We can clearly understand this relation when we see what happens on the skin surface with a wound (protein breakdown), then it disappears over time as skin cells renew (protein synthesis).
And about the factors that control how fast this relation happens, and renewing all damaged cells with new ones, they are:
- Protein amount in daily meals
- Exercising
- Health condition
- Stress
- Hormonal state of the body
- Heredity and genes
The natural protein state in the body is measured by the balance between the rate of protein synthesis and its breakdown, meaning when all these previous factors are balanced.
Fifth: Where is protein found inside the body?
Protein is found throughout most parts of your body. that's why it's one of the most important nutrients to get daily in correct and balanced amounts. Some examples of its presence in the body:
- Muscles
- Connective tissues, ligaments
- Neurotransmitters
- Hormones
- Enzymes
Sixth: What is the protein function in the body?
Since it’s the most important nutrient for body health and building, it naturally plays a vital and active role inside the body, And its role extends to include many internal body functions like:
- Body growth, and keeping it healthy.
- Carrying out biochemical reactions inside the body.
- Carrying some substances to and from the cells.
- Building the body, and renewing damaged tissues.
- Keeping the body's fluid balance.
- Boosting the body's immunity.
- Providing the body with energy.
Seventh: what are the dietary sources of protein?
Protein-rich foods are varied, and their dietary sources include:
First: Plant sources
- Legumes
- Seeds
- Potatoes
- Almonds
- Peanuts
- Soy
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Hemp
Second: Animal sources
- Red meats and chicken
- Dairy and its products
- Eggs
- Fish
Read also from here more about proteins, and you can learn about the harms of overeating protein-rich foods from here.
