Proteins and Weight Loss
Protein is responsible for the building and repair of muscle. It is only used as an energy source when there are not enough carbohydrates available for normal metabolic function.
Not counting water, protein makes up three quarters of our body and is found in every celL Our muscles, organs, some hormones, and certain antibodies and enzymes are all made up of protein. No wonder this incredible substance was named after a Greek word meaning “of first importance”.
When we consume protein, our digestive system breaks it down into its component amino acids. These amino acids go into an amino acid “bank” that our body can draw from to put together the proteins that it needs for tissue building and repair. If our body goes to the bank, and a particular amino acid is overdrawn, or in such short supply that the required protein cannot be built, then body tissues begin to break down.
Protein in our diet can come from two sources:
Animal products, such as milk, meat, eggs, cheese, fish and chicken.
Plant products, such as beans, legumes, pulses, nuts and whole grains.
There is a major difference between these two protein sources, however. Animal products contain “complete proteins” and a single source supplies the nine essential amino acids. Plant proteins, on the other hand, are considered “incomplete proteins”, as they are usually deficient in one or more of the nine. The notable exception is soy protein.
In order to get a complete protein from plant sources we need to combine different foods such that their proteins complement and make up for each other’s shortages:
Peanut butter on whole wheat bread
Beans and rice
Corn bread and baked beans
Tofu (soyabean milk paneer) and rice
Incomplete proteins can also be complemented with the use of a small amount of animal protein like macaroni and cheese or milk and cereal. You need not eat complementary proteins at the same time; eating them the same day is usually enough.
Amount of Protein Needed Daily
Your body cannot “bank” or save a significant amount of the amino acids, so it is important to eat some protein every day. But how much? The recommended protein intake for women is 44 grams a day and for men 56grams (1 gm/kg body weight). There are no benefits, and some risks, associated with eating too much protein.
Risks of Excess Protein
It is important that you consume protein from a variety of sources each day, and not from animal products only. If you get protein solely from animal sources, you risk endangering your heart and blood vessels from an over-consumption of fat and cholesterol. Also, diets very high in protein increase the body’s excretion of calcium, necessitating a higher intake of that mineral.
Finally, too much protein can also cause dehydration, since water is pulled from the body to dilute the nitrogen waste from protein. What is left behind, after your body rids itself of the unnecessary nitrogen, becomes a source of calories. Each gram of protein supplies four calories. Any excess calories from protein is stored as fat in the body.
Try getting two-thirds of your protein from plant sources, in order to reduce the risk of too much fat and cholesterol , while simultaneously increasing your intake of fibre and other important vitamins and minerals. Protein is responsible for the building and repair of muscles. It is only used as an energy source when there are not enough carbohydrates available for normal metabolic function.
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Tags: animal protein, beans and rice, body tissues, complementary proteins, complete proteins, corn bread, essential amino acids, incomplete proteins, macaroni and cheese, metabolic function, milk and cereal, paneer, plant proteins, plant sources, protein sources, soy protein, soyabean milk, three quarters, whole grains, whole wheat bread
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