Protein

Protein can be found in every cell of the body. It is a nutrient that helps the body to build muscle, produce hormones, produce antibodies and rebuild tissue that has broken down. Consumed protein will eventually turn into amino acid when digested.http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92 It is found in foods that are rich in protein.

There are 22 different types of amino acids, which may be either essential amino acids or non-essential amino acids.http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html Essential amino acids cannot be produced in the human body; they have to be consumed through protein rich foods. There are eight essential amino acids: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. The body on its own can produce non-essential amino acids. The main non-essential amino acids are glutamate, alanine, aspartate, and glutamine. These amino acids contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur.http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92

Sources of protein are dairy, eggs, beans, soy, meats, legumes and fortified foods such as cereal.http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/good-protein-sources http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html

Protein deficiency is a rare occurrence in developed countries. It is more commonly seen in areas where extreme poverty results in a lack of nutritious foods. In developed countries, deficiencies may result from severe physical trauma (which can increase protein needs) or highly restrictive diets (such as with anorexia).http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92 Most Americans actually eat more protein than the body needs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the amount of protein in a daily diet (in grams) should be:

• Children 1 to 3 years old: 13 ghttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
• Children 4 to 8 years old: 19 ghttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
• Children 9 to 13 years old: 34 ghttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
• Females 14 to 18 years old: 46 ghttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
• Males 14 to 18 years old: 52 ghttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
• Women aged 19 and older: 46 ghttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
• Men aged 19 and older: 56 ghttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html

• Muscle wasting awayhttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92
• Unexplained weight losshttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92
• Fatigue and weaknesshttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92
• Fighting frequent infectionshttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92
• Retaining fluidhttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92
• Slow growth and developmental problems in childrenhttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=92

The American Heart Association does not recommend following high protein diets. These tend to be centered around animal foods, which contain saturated fat and can lead to heart disease, diabetes, strokes and cancer. Those who consume more than 35 percent of their daily calories in protein are also likely to be missing nutrition-rich fruits, vegetables and carbohydrates.http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11234

Too much protein can also cause the body to go into a state called ketosis. Ketosis causes the body to stop burning carbohydrates, and start burning body fat. When this happens, high levels of ketones are released into the blood stream. Ketones may cause people to eat less and may also result in lost water weight. This same effect occurs with diabetes in some cases.http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/benefits-protein

The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a doctor before using the information presented here.