The importance of protein

The human body is said to be made of 60% of water and 40% of dry matter. Obviously water is important for the body. The second most important factor is protein as 40% of the body’s dry matter is protein. These are essential because they help the body to repair the loss due to wear and tear. These act as antibodies by helping the body defend itself against infections. So protein is used for every activity in your body. It is important to children to stimulate growth. Every day, we loose protein in the form of hair, skin and nails.

Protein is naturally produced in the body, when the body recycles the worn out tissues. About 10 to 15% of calories in your diet should come from Protein. The rest of the protein is sourced from food. Protein is made from 20 different amino acids. Nine of which are essential, i.e. these are sourced from the outside, through food. The rest are non essential.ie the body can produce these. Food rich in protein include tuna fish, salmon, milk, chicken (breast), yoghurt, cheddar cheese, egg, cottage cheese etc.

Protein sourced from food can be classified into two-complete and incomplete proteins. Complete proteins can be sourced from animal products and they contain all the essential amino acids that keep the body healthy and fit.

Incomplete proteins can be sourced from grains, nuts, beans and vegetables. They are called so because they are limited sources of amino acids. We are required to eat a wide array of food to source these amino acids. Therefore many traditional diets combine proteins like in India rice is combined with split peas, in Mexico, corn and beans are mixed.

The amount of protein that is required depends on your age, sex and weight along with your lifestyle. If you are someone under high levels of stress either through cancer treatments, radiation exposure or pregnancy, you would need a higher amount of protein intake. Also, if you have undergone an operation, you would need higher amounts of protein to help the body.

Modern lifestyle has ensured that the protein intake is either too low or absent. Thus the need for protein supplements. This need is higher for people before, during and after exercise. The body is smarter than you think it is. For those who exercise beyond 2-3 hours, you need protein source through a dietary source, or your body would end up –borrowing protein from muscle tissues, thus leading to increased fatigue after exercise.

Thus the need for protein supplements that help you to offset this cannibalization that your body does. It is also important for children to maintain a healthy growth. There are many protein supplements that are available today and they can be bought with the help of websites that offer to sell them.