Let’s Talk About Protein
Protein. As a child, your parents probably made you drink all of your milk and take “just three more bites” of your meat at dinner so you could get your protein and grow “big and strong.” There’s all kinds of diets involving protein, and all kinds of stigmas surrounding it. The common consensus is that protein makes you muscular and strong. People say to eat an abundance of chicken and drink a bunch of protein shakes. But is that really necessary? And what exactly does protein do to your body?
The dictionary definition of protein is “any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids and are an essential part of all living organisms, especially as structural components of body tissues such as muscle, hair, collagen, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies.”
To put it into more understandable terms, protein is made up of amino acids, that then build up muscle mass and fuel the body. So, protein does make up muscles, and it makes up about 15% of a persons body weight.
How much protein should you eat? And what should you get it from? The typical person should eat 1 gram of protein for every pound they weigh. For example, if you weigh 110 pounds then you should eat 110 grams of protein a day. Those who are very athletic should eat about 2 grams for every pound they weigh.
It is best to get protein from natural sources, rather than a protein shake or protein bar. Protein shakes and bars often contain an excess of sugar or calories, or other unwanted ingredients. Natural sources such as chicken and other meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, and beans are all high in protein.
Alternative sources of protein include soy, whey, and hemp proteins. Whey is developed from milk, and hemp is derived from a plant. Soy comes from soybeans. Whey protein is more rich in protein, while hemp contains fiber, fats, and protein. Soy contains little carbohydrates, but is high in protein.
Protein is indeed important for your body. It builds up your muscles and gives you energy. It is important to ensure that you eat the right amount of protein, especially when losing weight so as you lose fat you hold onto muscle. Therefor, drink your milk and eat your chicken, your parents were right about this one.
Sources:
- Szalay, J. (2015, December 10). What Is Protein? Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/53044-protein.html
- What is protein? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/qa/what-is-protein
- Stante, Melanie Di. “Hemp Vs. Whey Protein.” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 3 Oct. 2017, www.livestrong.com/article/221321-hemp-vs-whey-protein/.
- “Soy Protein vs. Whey Protein — Everything You Need to Know.” Nuts.com, nuts.com/healthy-eating/soy-vs-whey-protein.
