Proteins and Healthy Eating
High protein foods are rich in amino acids which the human body uses to build and repair tissue and muscle. Proteins are vital for the functioning of our immune system, so they should be part of any balanced nutrition plan designed to keep us healthy and in good shape. Living cells contain these amino acids which we generically call proteins. They are part of our muscles, bones and blood. This is why diets that exclude proteins are not indicated, because they could lead to metabolic problems.
There are 20 proteins, out of which only nine are essential. This means the human body is unable to produce them from other substances, therefore it needs to get them from nutrition or from food supplements http://healthyeatingrecipes.org/. This fact is even stated in the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans and in the personalized eating plans gathered under the umbrella of MyPyramid.gov http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html.
Fast Facts:
- Each gram of protein has 4 calories
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends 10% of daily caloric intake in proteins
- High-protein diets are a recent trend
- Although there are no scientific studies to support this statement, it seems that high-protein diets have side effects, thus being detrimental to the overall health and well-being.
- High protein foods based diets are an important part of the nutrition of athletes.
