T1-Protein-P1

Topic 1 – Protein Part 1

We all know they are needed for muscle, but in a healthy human body this is only a small fraction of what proteins do.

Proteins are essential parts of organisms, so humans. They participate in virtually every process within the body’s cells. Many proteins act as enzymes in cell reactions and are vital to metabolism. They also have structural or mechanical functions suc...h as muscle proteins and the cytoskeleton which forms the structure of all cells. Other proteins are important as hormones, antibodies in immune responses, cell integrity and functioning.

So proteins are pretty important!

The smallest unit of a protein is an amino-acid, and there are 20 of these, 12 non-essential and 8 essential. The 12 non-essentials are amino-acids that the body can create itself, the 8 essential amino-acids have to come from our diet. Because of this, to have a healthy diet we need to ensure is supplies these 8 essential amino-acids, else we will become deficient and so health will deteriorate.

What are these 8 essential amino-acids we need?

Well here they are: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, leucine and lysine.

There’re a couple more that are essential for certain populations that don’t make them in adequate amounts, but all in all some hard to pronounce chemicals. As long as we are getting them, as ever through whole unprocessed foods, we don’t really need to know what they are, just that we are supplying them to our bodies so they have the tools for their job!

So where can we get these essential nutrients in whole unprocessed food to make sure we have enough to be healthy?
Well here are a few ideas but this is not exhaustive, there are many sources, a bit harder for vegetarians and vegans, but still plenty of choices out there.

PHENYLALANINE - found naturally in mammal milk, eggs, raw seaweed/spirulina, watercress, a variety of seeds, meats and fish.

VALINE – eggs, raw seaweed/spirulina, pumpkin leaves, raw horseradish tree leaf tips, meats and fish.

THREONINE – Beans, lentils nuts and seeds, eggs, dairy, meats and fish.

TRYPTOPHAN – The sleeping amino-acid, cocoa, oats, dried-dates, milk, yoghurt, raw seaweed/spirulina, meats and fish

ISOLEUCINE – eggs, raw seaweed/spirulina, meats and fish.

METHIONINE – eggs, fish, meat, brazil nuts, sunflower seed butter, oats.

LEUCINE – egg, raw seaweed/spirulina, meats, fish, broad beans, spinach.

LYSINE – meat, fish, eggs, raw seaweed/spiruline, pinto beans, kidney beans, parsley and chives.

So, looks like we need to stock up on eggs, seaweed and oats!!

Just remember that the body rarely gets excess toxic levels of nutrients when they are taken from whole unprocessed food sources in a balanced diet, but toxicity can happen when using supplements to add these amino-acids to our diets.