Proteins: what we talking about it? Proteins are part of the three basic components of food with carbohydrates and lipids.
Proteins are an assembly of basic elements - amino acids - eight of which are essential because the body can not synthesize them: they are provided by the diet (lysine , leucine , isoleucine , threonine , tryptophan , valine , methionine and phenylalanine).
Proteins can be animal or vegetable , animal protein is more complete than plant proteins because they contain all the essential amino acids.
What are the protein needs? Proteins are a source of energy: 1 g of protein provides 4 kilocalories (kcal).
But proteins are especially vital to the construction of the body (bones , muscles) and various body functions.
Protein requirements are 12 to 15% of the total energy intake.
What happens there in the body? Proteins are degraded by various processes of digestion to produce amino acids. The role of amino acids is essential because they are components: it is from amino acids that the body produces its own proteins for systems bony , muscular ...
Proteins are also included in the composition of vitamins , enzymes , antibodies.
Some proteins circulate in the blood to provide transport functions (such as lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood).
Protein Tips What are the different types of proteins? Animal protein found in red meat , poultry , fish and seafood , eggs , milk and dairy products. These products can be substituted for each other because they contain all the essential amino acids.
Vegetable protein found in grains and legumes , but plant proteins are often deficient in one or more of the essential amino acids.
Meat contains all the essential amino acids in the right amount , while the plants are not sufficient to ensure the required protein intake.
We talk about biological value of proteins: it is the ratio of essential amino acids / total amino acids.
This value is 45% for meat and sausage.
But it is the egg that has been chosen as a reference food with a biological value of 100% because it contains all the essential amino acids in optimal balance.
What are the basic dietary advice? Care should be taken to consume a mixture of both types of proteins so that the eight essential amino acids (which are not all contained in a single protein) may appear on the plate.
The absence of a single amino acid can lead to problems of malnutrition , where the interests of varied menus.
Protein intake is also important in elderly patients , with age as muscle mass decreases and adipose tissue (fat) tends to increase.
What should I be wary? Be wary of excessive consumption of meat - often at the expense of vegetables and legumes - which can have serious consequences (obesity , increased cholesterol , metabolic disorders ...).
