Protein, the building block of life

Image courtesy of http://www.twochicks.co.uk/

There has been much of talk of protein, how essential it is and what uses does it carry for the body. In this week’s blog, i’ll try and explain as clearly as possible what protein is, why we need it, how much of it we need and diminish some common protein myths that are out there. So grab a cuppa, take 10 minutes from your day, sit back, relax and enjoy!

What is protein?
Think of protein as strings of sausages. Long strings – some many thousands.  Each sausage represents one of 15 similar small molecules called amino acids. The order of amino acids in the chain is programmed by DNA.  “Amino” means that they contain nitrogen, but they also contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.  In order to do their jobs, proteins curl up into characteristic shapes, and many of them need to incorporate minerals or vitamins in order to function. Some proteins are solid, some are flexible in cell membranes, others are mobile in solutions [1].

Muscles, skin, bones, and other parts of the human body contain significant amounts of protein, including enzymes, hormones and antibodies. Proteins also work as neurotransmitters. Haemoglobin, a carrier of oxygen in the blood, is a protein. Protein is made up of amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are around 20 amino acids.

These 20 amino acids can be arranged in millions of different ways to create millions of different proteins, and each protein has a specific function in the body. The structures differ according to the sequence in which the amino acids combine [2].

Are there different types of protein?
Yes! They can be classified as two main types, the protein you eat and the protein your body makes. Let us discuss these further:

Protein that is eaten [3]:
Maybe you never thought about it, but not all food proteins are the same. The sequence of amino acids that creates the white of an egg is much different from the arrangement of amino acids that creates the protein in a glass of milk.

When you eat foods that provide protein, it should make sense that different foods contain different proteins (and usually more than one), even though they’re all made up of amino acids.

For example, when you eat milk or yogurt, you’re eating proteins called casein and whey. When you eat meat, fish or poultry, you would be eating proteins called collagen and myosin, among others. Beans have proteins called legumins, and eggs contain a number of different proteins, including one called avidin and one called ovalbumin.

Each of these proteins is unique because each is made up of a unique sequence of amino acids. Once the proteins are digested and absorbed, their amino acids can then be used as building blocks for the proteins in your body.

Protein that your body makes [3]:
As protein foods travel through the digestive tract, they’re ultimately broken back down into their individual amino acids which are absorbed into the bloodstream. Your body can then use these building blocks to manufacture some 50,000 different body proteins, each of which has a specific structure and function based upon its arrangement of amino acids.

As long as your body has all the necessary raw materials in the form of the amino acid building blocks, it can manufacture these important body proteins—from the enzymes that speed up chemical reactions in the body, to hormones that act as chemical messengers. Other proteins support your immune function, or transport nutrients in your body. And, of course, you have proteins that provide structure to your bones, skin, hair, nails and muscles, too.

Once the amino acids enter your bloodstream, there’s no way to tell whether they were derived from a bowl of lentils or a steak. They all end up as an amino acid “pool” in your body’s tissues and fluids—a pool that can be tapped into as needed. To ensure a steady supply, it’s important to consume adequate protein every day.

Why does the body need protein?
Like carbohydrates and fat, protein is a “macronutrient,” meaning that you need relatively large amounts of it to stay healthy. (Vitamins and minerals, which you only need in small quantities, are called “micronutrients.”) Unlike carbohydrates and fat, your body does not store protein, so it has no reservoir to draw from when you’re running low. Protein bars and shakes are a great way to supplement your diet to ensure you’re getting the right amount of protein [5].

Studies show that eating a high-protein diet has a number of health benefits. Not only does it help you maintain and lose weight, but it also works to stabilise your blood sugar levels, improve your ability to learn and concentrate, reduce brain fog, boost your energy levels, support your muscles and bones and support the absorption of important nutrients. Many people make the mistake of trying diets that involve calorie counting and deprivation. On a high-protein diet, you will feel completely satiated after eating, and you won’t have to deal with the blood sugar highs and lows that lead to cravings and moodiness. You’ll be surprised to see how many foods you can eat on a high-protein diet. Even people on a vegetarian or vegan diet, who sometimes turn to processed foods for energy, have enough high-protein foods to choose from [6].

How much protein do I need?
Wondering exactly how much protein you should be consuming each day? The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is the minimum amount you need to be healthy, is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of body weight per day. If you’re very active, that means getting at least 35 to 40 minutes of moderate exercise four or five days a week, including resistance training two or more times a week. Consider eating 1.2 to 2 grams of dietary protein per kilogram (or about 0.5 to 0.9 grams per pound) of bodyweight each day [4].

Optimal protein works out to be about 15% to 25% of your daily calories, still below the level recommended by many popular high-protein diets. Over a day, that could look like 20-30 grams per meal and 12 to 15 grams per snack, for a total of 90 to 105 grams daily [4].

For those of us that are trying to lose weight, having a high protein/low carb diet may be beneficial. Protein, due to its amino acid chains, takes longer to break down in the stomach. This means we remain fuller for longer. So having a protein shake after a workout, as a snack or as a meal will help you feel fuller for longer as well as getting the amino acids your body needs for almost all of its metabolic functions.

The common protein myths [7]:

• Protein is only found in meat: A complete protein is a protein source that contains all nine essential amino acids, but since that list includes things like beef, fish, and eggs, vegetarians\vegans end up missing out. Turns out, this isn’t as big of a problem as you may have thought. Even a plant-based diet, as long as it’s well-balanced, includes enough incomplete proteins in foods like rice and beans, for example to be combined and used as a complete protein. And you don’t even have to eat them in the same sitting since your body stores amino acids for the entire day.
• There’s no such thing as too much protein: You’ve probably been told that there’s not enough protein in your daily diet and you need more, more, more, but that’s usually not the case for most people. Far from it, in fact. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adults between the ages of 19 and 30 eat roughly 100 grams of protein a day, which twice the recommended amount for someone eating a 2,000 calorie diet. But what happens when you overload like this? Cassie Bjork, RD, LD, says eating excessive protein could lead to excessive nitrogen your body can’t excrete. “If you’re a long-time high-protein dieter, you could be increasing your risk for kidney damage,” she says. Maybe that’s why researchers from Rovira I Virgili University found high-protein dieters to be 66 percent more at risk of dying than those eating less. So just be mindful next time you’re making a protein shake, make sure you’re not leaping over your daily limit.
• Powders can substitute food based protein sources: I love protein shakes for two reasons: they’re a convenient choice to chug when leaving the gym, and the powder they’re made of is easily absorbed by our bodies. But that being said, don’t equate drinking a shake to cutting into a slab of steak. While powders are a great protein source, they shouldn’t act as a substitute for whole food sources, both animal and plant alike. Not only does the variation of protein provide your body with different amino acid profiles, but consuming the whole food source will also provide your body with other essential micro and macronutrients. So don’t make powders your primary source. Instead, make them a part of a more varied protein diet.
• You’re body can digest lots of protein in one sitting: Everything in moderation, even protein. Did you know you could eat too much in just one sitting? If you end up going overboard, your body won’t actually digest the excess but will store it as fat instead. So look at labels if you want to guarantee your protein-packed meal isn’t backfiring on your body.
• Everyone should eat the same amount: Your weight loss or weight gain journey is not going to be the same as your neighbour’s, your best friend’s, or the person riding next to you on the bus. So why should you match up your protein consumption to theirs? While the base recommended daily amount is 56 grams for men and 46 for women, you need to take your weight into consideration before you follow that number blindly. Also, keep in mind that your ideal protein levels today aren’t your ideal protein levels next month. As your body changes, your calculations will change along with it.
• Increasing protein increases muscle mass: This myth is true if and only if you’re supplementing your protein intake with trips to the gym. Your body does need the amino acids in protein sources to better repair or boost muscle mass, but it also needs exercise and strength training on top of that. If you’re not working out and challenging your muscles, they won’t need all the extra protein you’re packing in. That’s why researchers from Rice University recommend that those who don’t exercise only eat about half as much protein as athletes.
• Protein bars are the answer to it all: Sometimes it’s actually easier to go wrong with a protein bar than to go right once you start paying attention to packaging. h=They could contain ingredients such as carrageenan. According to Gina Hassick, RD, LDN, CDE, “Carrageenan can trigger an immune response that causes inflammation, gut irritation and lesions, and even cancer.” It’s best to find something under 200 calories, low in sugar, and high in protein (obviously), but don’t just add it to your daily diet. Use it to replace a meal or a snack, or just whip up your own protein shake instead with ingredients you can trust.

Here’s a list of food sources and how much protein they contain [8]:

1. Eggs: Protein content: 35% of calories in a whole egg. 1 large egg contains 6 grams of protein, with 78 calories.
2. Almonds: Protein content: 13% of calories. 6 grams per 1 ounce (28 g) serving, with 161 calories.
3. Chicken breast: Protein content: 80% of calories. 1 roasted chicken breast without skin contains 53 grams, with only 284 calories.
4. Oats: Protein content: 15% of calories. Half a cup of raw oats contains 13 grams, with 303 calories.
5. Cottage cheese: Protein content: 59% of calories. A cup (226 g) of cottage cheese with 2% fat contains 27 grams of protein, with 194 calories.
6. Broccoli: Protein content: 20% of calories. 1 cup of chopped broccoli (96 grams) contains 3 grams of protein, with only 31 calories.
7. Lean beef: Protein content: 53% of calories. One 3 ounce (85 g) serving of cooked beef with 10% fat contains 22 grams of protein, with 184 calories.
8. Quinoa: Protein content: 15% of calories. One cup (185 g) of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams, with 222 calories.
9. Lentils: Protein content: 27% of calories. 1 cup (198 g) of boiled lentils contains 18 grams, with 230 calories.
10. Pumpkin seeds: Protein content: 14% of calories. 1 ounce (28 g) contains 5 grams of protein, with 125 calories.
11. Salmon: Protein content: 46% protein, with 19 grams per 3 ounce (85 g) serving, with 175 calories.
12. Brussel sprouts: Protein content: 17% of calories. Half a cup (78 g) contains 2 grams of protein, with 28 calories.

There are many other foods which contain high protein contents, the above list should be a good start for you as a point of guidance. So there you have it! Eat protein with every meal, in moderation and work out how much you need for your body. You do not need meat to get protein into your body and you shouldn’t just rely on protein powders to get protein into your diet. For those of you that workout regularly, you need more protein than those that don’t. Lastly, as with everything I suggest, don’t go overboard and ensure you are sensible with the choices you make.

If you feel you could benefit from guidance on protein intake or require nutritional support and how to live a balanced lifestyle please contact me at habs@urbanplatehealth.com or visit my website by going to www.urbanplatehealth.com

References

1. Why do we need protein in our diet? - http://www.eatbalanced.com/why-eat-balanced/why-do-we-need-protein/
2. What is Protein and How Much do we Need? - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/196279.php
3. What Is Protein, and Why You Need to Eat It - https://discovergoodnutrition.com/2014/10/what-is-protein/
4. This Is How Much Protein You Really Need to Eat in a Day - http://www.health.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day
5. The Importance of Protein in Your Diet - https://www.detourbar.com/education/the-importance-of-protein-in-your-diet/
6. Protein Foods: 8 Health Benefits of Foods High in Protein - https://draxe.com/protein-foods/
7. 9 Protein Myths You Should Stop Believing - http://www.eatthis.com/protein-myths/
8. 20 Delicious High-Protein Foods to Eat - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/20-delicious-high-protein-foods

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