Proteins: The Body’s Building Blocks  Dispensable Amino Acids: Your body can

produce these on its own.

A-10-CHON!
 Your body can synthesize 11 of the
Protein amino acids from the other amino acids
• Protein is a complex nutrient essential
 Indispensable Amino Acids: The remaining 9
to many important functions in the
body. amino acids must come from your diet – also
• Protein needs can be met by eating a called essential amino acids
variety of food sources.  You need all the amino acids to make

What is Protein? the proteins your body needs for good

health
Protein: an energy-yielding nutrient composed *Certain health conditions (such as PKU)
of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen, thus:
interfere with the body’s ability to make
CHON. It differs from carbohydrates and fats
because of the presence of nitrogen. dispensable amino acids. That amino acid then
 The body has at least 30,000 types of becomes a conditionally indispensable amino
protein, each with a different job.
acid and it must be consumed through the diet.
 The building blocks of all protein
molecules are amino acids.
Essential vs. Dispensable Amino Acids
What is Protein?
 There are 20 different amino acids that
create different combinations for specific
functions in the body.
 ??? provides the instructions for how the
amino acids will be linked to form the
proteins in your body.
 The protein we consume can be altered
and changed but can never return to its
initial form. This is called denaturation.
This can be seen when you add heat to an
egg (it changes from a runny fluid to a
solid mass). The shapes of the protein
molecules in these foods have changed.
 Factors that cause denaturation:
 Heat
 Acids
 Bases
 Alcohol

Protein
Amino Acids  The quality of a protein is determined by its
ability to provide the 9 essential amino acids.
Types of Amino Acids
 Proteins from animal sources (eggs, dairy,
meat, poultry, and fish) and one vegetable
protein (soy) are all considered high-quality
because they contain all of the essential amino
acids in the necessary proportions.
Protein in the Body
The Function of Protein
• Build and maintain tissues
 Protein makes up about 18-20% of your
body
 Is a necessary part of every cell (needed
to form the structure of muscles,
organs, skin, blood, hair, nails and
every other body part)
 Skeletal muscle accounts for more than
half of body protein
• Make important compounds
 Body uses proteins to make enzymes,
some hormones, and antibodies (defend
against infection and disease)
• Regulate mineral and fluid balance
 Proteins help carry the minerals sodium
and potassium from one side of cell
walls to the other (keeps a balance of
fluid inside and outside the cell)
• Maintain acid-base balance
 Maintenance of the correct level of
acidity of a body fluid
• Proteins in the blood act as
chemical buffers (counteract an
excess of acid or base in a fluid)
• Carry vital substances
 Used to transport lipoproteins (protein
linked with fat), iron, and other
nutrients, as well as oxygen,
chromosomes, and other bundles of
protein to other parts of cells
• Provide energy
 Provides the cells with the energy they
need to exist
• If carbs and fats are lacking, the
body uses protein as an energy
source
Protein in the Body
• When you consume protein food,
acids in the stomach start to denature
the proteins
• Once the proteins are broken down
into their simplest form the amino
acids are then carried in the blood
stream to the parts of the body they
are needed.
How Much Protein Do You Need?
 Proteinin pure form is not stored in the body
 Quantity depends on:
 Age
 Gender
 Body Size
 State of Health
 RDA is 52 grams/day for 14-18-year-old
males, 46 g/day for females
 .85 grams of protein per kilogram of
body weight
• 1 kg = 2.2 pounds
• 135#/2.2 = 61.3 kg x .85 g = 52 g
of protein
 When increased muscle mass is not the
goal, large amounts of extra protein are not
required
 Supplements to increase intake may have
more harmful effects than benefits
 Protein is commonly over consumed-
too much protein from artificial sources
 may be harmful-stick to natural sources
so that the body may easily achieve its
peak performance.
Who needs more protein?
 Growing youth and teens
 Pregnant & Breast Feeding Women
 Teen & Adult Males
 Individuals with Lean Muscle
• Large, tall person in comparison
to a small, short person
 Ill and Injured People to build
antibodies and rebuild damaged tissue
Protein Needs
 Balanced Diet
 Focus on Carbohydrates: 60 – 65%
 Low end of Fats: 20 – 25%
 Remaining calories are adequate for
Protein: 10 – 20%
 Avoid dehydration
 Consume low-fat sources of protein
 Use low-fat cooking methods: grilling, baking,
& poaching
Do Athletes Need More Protein?
• More muscle does not automatically
require more protein
• Most athletic activities require higher
levels of energy which requires more
carbohydrates for energy to spare
proteins to build and repair muscles
• Low Intensity sports like running need
less compared to High Intensity sports
like strength training.
• In weight lifting, more protein will help
improve muscle mass
Protein requirements do vary based on a
number of factors:
Food Sources of Protein
 Proteins in the diet can be provided from
both animal and plant sources.
 Factors that influence people’s protein
choices:
 Availability -
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/should-
we-eat-bugs-emma-bryce
 Cost
 Health Concerns
 Food Preferences
 Religious Beliefs
 Environmental Factors
 Animal Sources of Protein
 The largest source of protein, especially
in U.S.
 Beef, Veal, Pork, Lamb, Poultry, &
Fish.
 Other: Eggs, Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese
 Average American consumes 200
pounds of meat, poultry and seafood
annually.
• Fast food chains provide the bulk
of protein in teens diets
• Meat is an excellent source of protein but
can be high in fat, the same is true for dairy.
 57% of calories in ground beef come
from fat
 Mostly saturated
 No fiber
 Considerably more expensive
 Plant Sources of Protein
 Can be found in grains, nuts, seeds, and
legumes
• Legumes capture nitrogen making
them more protein dense:
peanuts, black-eyed peas, kidney
beans, black beans, lentils,
chickpeas, and lima beans
 Soybeans are a type of legume that can
be converted to form different types of
food products – meat alternative
  Low in saturated fat
 Negative side
 Not easily digested
Types of Vegetarianism
VEGANS - (or strict vegetarians) eat no
foods from animal sources. Diet limited
to foods from plant sources.
LACTO-VEGETARIANS - eat animal
protein by milk, cheese, and other dairy
products. They do not eat meat, fish,
poultry, or eggs.
OVO-VEGETARIANS - eat eggs, but
Comparing Protein Sources do not eat meat or dairy products (“ovo”
= latin for egg)
Extra Lean Ground Beef Patty LACTO-OVO VEGETARIANS - eat
animal protein from dairy products and
eggs. Do not eat meat, fish, or poultry.
FRUITARIANS - eat vegan diets based
on fruits, nuts and seeds, vegetables.
Grains, beans, and animal products are
excluded.
PESCETARIANS - eat vegetables,
fruits, nuts, beans, and fish/seafood, but
reject animal or poultry products.
FLEXITARIAN/SEMI-
White Beans
VEGETARIANS - partial vegetarians,
eat dairy products, eggs, poultry,
seafood. Eat little to no red meat.

Food Sources of Protein

 Vegetarianism: diet consisting entirely or
largely of plant foods.
 Growing trend Reasons for Vegetarianism:
 Offers many health benefits • Religious
 Good source of fats • Health
 No cholesterol • Socioeconomic
 High in fiber • Environmental
• Humanitarian

Protein Quality: the amount and type of
protein can vary greatly, some are better than
others
 Complete Proteins
 Meat, Poultry, & Fish (Animal Sources)
 Very high
 All Indispensable Amino Acids are
present
 Incomplete Proteins
 Plant Sources
 Lower Quality
 Missing or short in one or more of the
indispensable Amino Acids.
 Amino Balance is needed for the production
of tissues and other compounds.
 When lacking, your cells will not be able to
make needed proteins
 Example: writing a paper but you are
only allowed to use a limited amount of
letters from the alphabet.
 Complementary Proteins: Two or more
incomplete proteins that can be combined to
provide all the indispensable amino acids.
 Must consume more to get what is
needed
 Only focusing on incomplete protein is
harmful
 The right combinations:
 Grains, nuts, or seeds with legumes.
 Peanuts (legumes) and wheat
(grain)=complete protein
 Add complete protein sources (meat)
Protein Deficiency & Over Consumption
• Nitrogen Balance: comparison of the
nitrogen a person consumes with the
nitrogen he or she excretes.
 Protein is the only energy nutrient that
provides nitrogen
 Nitrogen Equilibrium: excrete the same
amount that is taken in
 Positive Nitrogen Balance: build new
tissue - takes in more than is excreted
 Negative Nitrogen Balance: tissues that
are deteriorating.
• Example: body that is wasting
due to starvation
Protein Deficiency
• Deficiency: shortage
• Deficiency Disease: sickness caused by a
lack of an essential nutrient
• In the U.S., typically protein is easy to get
in amounts of excess.
• Populations fighting poverty, deficiency is
not uncommon.
• Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM): lack
of calories and protein in the diet.
 Symptoms: diarrhea and & various
nutrient deficiencies.
 Kwashiorkor is a form or PEM, a
protein deficiency disease.
o In poor countries it can occur when
the next sibling is born and the
older sibling is no longer receiving
protein-rich breast milk and starts a
diet that is much lower in protein
• Child suffering from Kwashiorkor:
 Does not reach full growth potential
 Bloated abdomen
 Skinny arms and legs
 Fluid imbalance resulting in death from
simple illnesses.
• Marasmus: wasting disease cause by a lack
of calories and protein
 Most often affects infants
 Muscles and tissues of these children
begin to waste away
 More susceptible to infection and
disease.
 Suffering from starvation
 • Excess Protein
• Liver & Kidney Problems
• Produces an overabundance of
nitrogen waste.
• Body must excrete this waste
before it builds up to toxic levels.
• Liver turns nitrogen waste into
urea, kidneys are then responsible
for excreting through urine
• Extra work on the liver and
kidneys creating stress and
aging
• Calcium Loss
• Diets high in protein from
animals contribute to calcium loss
in the bones

• Excess Body Fat

• People can typically consume 2 g of
protein per kg of their body weight
daily, long-term, without any significant
side effects.
• Marasmus: Severe weight loss and muscle
• Some people, such as elite athletes, may
wasting due to lack of nutrition and calories.
be able to eat as much as 3.5 g per kg of
body weight daily without any side
• Kwashiorkor: is a severe form of
effects.
malnutrition associated with a deficiency in
dietary protein. The extreme lack of protein
• Most research indicates that eating
causes an osmotic imbalance in the
more than 2 g per kg of body weight
gastrointestinal system causing swelling of
daily of protein for a long time can
the gut diagnosed as an edema or retention
cause health problems.
of water.
• Symptoms associated with too much
protein include:
• Marasmic-kwashiorkor: A combination of
• intestinal discomfort and indigestion
muscle wasting and bilateral edema.
• dehydration
• unexplained exhaustion
Protein Over Consumption
• nausea
• Excess Proteins in the diet
• irritability
 Most people in the U.S. are guilty of
• headache
this
• diarrhea
 Women eat almost 1 ½ times the RDA
 Men eat nearly twice the RDA
• Lack of education about protein
needs