Everyone knows that we eat to give our body energy and raw materials to function, heal, and grow. Even the most avid couch potato burns energy sitting on the couch and watching TV. The human body is a machine, which means it needs energy to operate at all times. A sleeping person may not look like he’s doing much of anything, but there are still brain impulses racing around, the heart is still beating, the lungs are still inhaling and exhaling. Hair and nails are growing, and skin is regenerating. If there’s no energy for the body to operate, none of this will happen. More and more body functions will be cut off in an attempt to conserve power. And as everyone knows, starvation can lead to a great many problems – even before it gets to the point of being life-threatening.
Protein is an important part of the entire process of powering your body.
Protein’s Many Roles
There are three macronutrients that everyone needs – carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Protein is a primary component of the hormones and enzymes that regulate all kinds of functions in the human body. Enzymes are used in the digestion process, in the creation of new cells and neurotransmitters, to regulate sleep and ovulation, and even to make new RNA and DNA. These are only a few of the functions governed by protein. Here are some more, just to show how important protein is:
– Protein helps create the contractive tissues of muscle.
– Protein helps in the creation of connective tissue.
– Protein is a component of cell membranes.
– Red blood cells are made from protein.
– Protein regulates the fluid balance in your body.
– Protein regulates the pH balance in your blood.
– Protein adds to your bone matrix.
– Antibodies are made from protein.
– Hair, skin, and nails all need protein to grow.
Protein and Energy
Eating food causes a reaction known as thermogenesis, which is an increase in body temperature. In general, for the average person and the average meal, thermogenesis is about 8%. Someone on a diet that involves reduced calorie intake may have about half of that.
The type of food you eat affects the level of thermogenesis. Fats only cause about 3% change in temperature, carbohydrates 10%, and protein 30%. It takes a lot of energy to digest protein. Fat is easily burned, which is why it produces so little heat. Carbohydrates can vary, depending upon whether they are simple or complex. Simple carbs digest quickly, almost like fat. They cause a blood sugar rush, just like sweet foods. Complex carbs are slower to digest, so they do not cause the attendant rush of sugar.
Digestion breaks down everything you eat into something else that the body requires. Proteins are broken down into their component amino acids, which themselves are transformed into different amino acids and hormones. Fats and carbohydrates tend to be burned down for fuel instantly, or used to store energy for later use. When too much energy is sent to storage, it starts to accumulate as fat cells. Even protein can be turned into fat if too much of it is eaten. A human body will convert any food it does not need for energy or other processes into fat.
How Much Food Is the Right Amount?
There are a number of factors that determine how much food a person needs on a daily basis.
Age
The age group that needs protein the most is infants, from birth to about six months of age. A baby that age should have about 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. Even the most muscular and accomplished body builder will need only 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. The need for protein tends to decrease through childhood until about the age of nineteen or so. Around the age of fifty-five, the daily requirement for protein will increase again.
Gender
Since men tend to have more mass than women, they tend to need slightly more protein. This does not change the ratio of protein to body weight, however. Men and women of the same activity level and age group will still need the same number of grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but the actual grams of protein will be higher for the man, just because he weighs more. Women do need more protein in one circumstance – pregnancy. A pregnant woman should have a minimum of 60 grams of protein every day.
Health
People in relative good health will not really have any big fluctuations in their need for protein. Certain conditions will cause the need for protein to change. For example, a person with kidney or liver disease is often advised to have less protein. In cases such as recovery from surgery or trauma, it may be recommended that the protein intake be increased. No matter what your condition, it is never a good idea to have too much of anything, including protein, without confirmation from a physician.
Activity Level
Someone watching a football game on TV will need less protein than someone actually playing the game. You can get an idea of how much protein you need daily by first converting your weight to kilograms. (Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.) Someone who does not engage in any real exercise should multiply their weight by 0.4. Someone more active should have 0.5 to 0.8 – this is someone who exercises about 30 minutes a day, two or three days a week. Someone really active (exercising 30-60 minutes a day at least four days a week) should have 0.8 to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight daily. Body builders may have a little more, but it should still be no more than 35% of total calories daily.
Protein Supplements
For those who don’t eat the right amount of nutrients, for whatever reason, there are protein supplements that can fill in the gap and keep you healthy. The easiest of these to handle are the tiny protein shots, which are easy to carry and easy to drink. Profect, the liquid protein shot made by Protica, comes in a little vial, and in several flavors. It is 2.9 fluid ounces, but provides a great deal of protein in only 100 calories. Protein supplements also come in powders, puddings, and protein bars.
Protica Research (Protica, Inc.) specializes in the development of Capsulized Foods. Protica manufactures Profect, IsoMetric, Pediagro, Fruitasia and over 100 other brands, including Medicare-approved, whey protein bullets for cancer patients. You can learn more at Protica Research – Copyright