The Function of Protein

The function of protein is about power, energy, youth, looking good and health.

Your muscles are made primarily of protein. They need an optimal daily supply for renewal and repair and for you to perform at your very best.

Protein accounts for about three fourths of the dry matter in human tissues other than fat and bone.

It is a primary component of every energy-producing reaction in your body, it supports your body's engine, keeping you fueled all day long!

It's the source your body's primary building blocks for renew and repair. An optimal supply keeps your body strong and youthful.

The function of protein is to act as precursors of “messenger”substances (hormones, neurotransmitters) required for normal brain and body function.

Moreover, the body can use amino acids to produce energy.

Think of amino acids as “beads”which the body can rearrange to make many different types of protein “necklaces”— insulin, hemoglobin, actin, myosin, antibodies, peptides, enzymes, etc.

Specific amino acids play key roles in the body. Arginine andornithine are precursors of human growth hormone, whichaids fat-burning and lean muscle development.

Likewise,tyrosine is necessary to produce epinephrine and norepinephrine,hormones which ready the body to meet physical and mental challenges (the so-called “fight or flight response”).

Tyrosine is also a precursor of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter.

Similarly, tryptophan is required for the production of serotonin, a substance necessary for normal brain and nerve function.

Another function of protein is to create, maintain and repair every cell and tissue.

There are 22 amino acids involved in human nutrition, and these amino acids are the principle components of your muscles and brain, but also because they play crucial roles in essentially every biological process in your body, from hair growth to hormonal balance, from skin renewal to wound healing to immune function to energy production, in addition to heart rate, sleep patterns, weight maintenance and more more.

Function of Protein also known as Function of Amino Acids

Twenty two amino acids are involved in human nutrition.

Of these, nine are dietarily essential for adults, as they cannot be made by the body in sufficient quantity.

Children require a tenth (arginine). The diet-the foods and supplements we consume-must supply ample amino acids for optimal health.

When we consume protein foods, these proteins are digested or broken down into amino acids.

These amino acids are then absorbed through the intestinal lining, taken directly into the bloodstream, and transported to sites where they will be utilized.

The body rapidly absorb "free form" (individual amino acids). The amino acids present in the largest amounts are absorbed in the greatest proportion.

As an example, if the food has a large amount of arginine, blood levels of arginine will be high after that food is consumed.

Protein or Amino Acids Help the Metabolic Machinery" Run Smoothly.

The function of protein is prioritized by the body. This means the most important needs are met first.

If too few amino acids are available for the body to make a particular protein, that protein might not be made.

Over time, deficiency symptoms can occur if the diet provides an insufficient amount of an essential amino acid or if some metabolic process or change causes the demand for an amino acid to exceed its supply.

The effect of a lifetime of marginal amino acid deficiencies are not yet fully understood, but it is likely that long-term deficiency undermines metabolic efficiency and limits the body's ability to perform at peak efficiency.

Choosing a Protein Shake

As you can see the function of protein is really important to life and good health. Therefore, choosing a protein powder should be taken seriously and with some research.

Since there are 22 amino acids involved in human nutrition, shouldn't your protein shake also have all 22 amino acids.

Of the 22 amino acids involved in human nutrition, 9 are termed "essential" because they cannot be made by the body and therefore, must be supplied daily in the food we eat. The rest, which the body can synthesize are called "non-essential".

A little science

Protein comes in many forms. The ratio of essential amino acids dictates the "quality" of protein.

Since the body assembles available amino acids into needed combination's, a protein's nutritional value is limited by it's least abundant essential amino acid. Think of it this way, If the diet supplies an abundant amount of eight essential amino acids, but only a small amount of the ninth, (remember we said there are 9 essential amino acids) the body can only construct needed proteins until the ninth amino acid is used up.

For example, gelatin is 100% protein, but because it lacks the essential amino acid tryptophan, it provides little nutritional value by itself.

So we know that the function of protein in the body plays a huge part to our being...right! Right!!! So what about the nutritive value in a protein shake? Well, the nutritive value of a protein is determined by the degree to which the protein's amino acid profile matches the body's amino acid needs.

The better the match, the higher the value. The value is expressed as the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS).

The PDCAAS is based upon human amino acid requirement. It is the official protein quality assessment method connected with the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) and food labeling regulation.

It is the number which expresses how the protein's amino acid profile compares against that of a high quality protein standard, and how fully the protein is digested. An excellent PDCAAS score is 1.0 or higher.

Want to know more about the protein shake I use that fits all the above requirement? Drop me a line and I'll forward you some FREE information.

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