PROTEINS

MAHAM SALEEM
 THE CHEMIST VIEW OF PROTEIN
 Compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms, arranged
into amino acids linked in a chain.
 Amino acids: building blocks of proteins.
 TYPES OF AMINO ACIDS
Conditionally Essential
Amino Acids
Essential Amino Acids Nonessential Amino Acids An amino acid that is normally
nonessential, but must be supplied by the
There are nine amino More than half of the diet in special circumstances when the need
acids that the human amino acids are for it exceeds the body’s ability to produce
it.
body either cannot make nonessential, meaning
at all or cannot make in that the body can For example, the body normally uses the
essential amino acid phenylalanine to make
sufficient quantity to synthesize them for tyrosine (a nonessential amino acid). But if
meet its needs. These itself. The body can the diet fails to supply enough
nine amino acids must be make all nonessential phenylalanine, or if the body cannot make
the conversion for some reason (as happens
supplied by the diet; they amino acids in the inherited disease phenylketonuria),
are essential. then tyrosine becomes a conditionally
essential amino acid.
DIGESTION OF PROTEINS
 ABSORPTION OF PROTEINS
 In adults, essentially all protein is absorbed as tripeptides, dipeptides or
amino acids and this process occurs in the duodenum or proximal jejunum of
the small intestine. The peptides and/or amino acids pass through the interstitial
brush border.
 Once they’ve been absorbed, amino acids are released into your bloodstream,
which takes them to cells in other parts of your body so they can start repairing
tissue and building muscle.
ROLE OF PROTEIN
 PROTEIN IN FOODS
 Where nutritious foods are abundant, most people eat protein in such large
quantities that they receive all the amino acids they need.
 In countries where food is scarce and the people eat only marginal amounts of
protein-rich foods, however, the quality of the protein becomes crucial
 SOME IMPORTANT TERMS
 high-quality proteins: dietary proteins containing all the essential amino acids in
relatively the same amounts that human beings require. They may also contain
nonessential amino acids
 protein digestibility: a measure of the amount of amino acids digested and
absorbed from a given protein intake.
 limiting amino acid: the essential amino acid found in the shortest supply relative
to the amounts needed for protein synthesis in the body. Four amino acids are most
likely to be limiting: • Lysine • Methionine • Threonine • Tryptophan
 SOME IMPORTANT TERMS
 complementary proteins: two or more dietary proteins whose amino acid
assortments complement each other in such a way that the essential amino acids
missing from one are supplied by the other
 HEALTH EFFECTS AND
RECOMMENDED INTAKES OF PROTEIN
 When people are deprived of protein, energy, or both, the result is protein-energy
malnutrition (PEM). It can be
 Marasmus
 Kwashiorkor
 HEALTH EFFECTS OF PROTEIN
 While many of the world’s people struggle to obtain enough food energy and
protein, in developed countries both are so abundant that problems of excess are
seen.
 Overconsumption of protein offers no benefits and may pose health risks.
 High-protein diets have been implicated in several chronic diseases, including
heart disease, cancer, obesity, and kidney stones, but evidence is insufficient to
establish an Upper Level (UL).
 HEART DISEASE
 A high-protein diet may contribute to the progression of heart disease.
 As foods rich in animal protein also tend to be rich in saturated fats.
 Consequently, it is not surprising to find a correlation between animal-protein
intake (red meats and dairy products) and heart disease.
 On the other hand, substituting some other sources of protein with animal
protein may improve blood lipids and decrease heart disease mortality.
 CANCER
o Protein does not seem to increase the risk of cancer, but some protein rich foods do.
o For example, evidence suggests a strong correlation between high intakes of red
meat and processed meats with cancer of the colon.
 WEIGHT CONTROL
 Weight-loss diets that encourage a high-protein, low carbohydrate diet may be
effective, but only because they are low-kcalorie diets.
 Diets that provide adequate protein, moderate fat, and sufficient energy from
carbohydrates can better support weight loss and good health.
 Including protein at each meal may help with weight loss by providing satiety.
 Selecting too many protein-rich foods, such as meat and milk, may crowd out
fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, making the diet inadequate in other
nutrients.
 KIDNEY DISEASE
 Excretion of the end products of protein metabolism depends, in part, on an
adequate fluid intake and healthy kidneys.
 A high protein intake does not cause kidney disease, but it does increase the
work of the kidneys and accelerate kidney deterioration in people with chronic
kidney disease.
 Restricting dietary protein may help to slow the progression of kidney disease in
people who have this condition.
 RECOMMENDED INTAKES OF
PROTEIN
 Given recommendations that people’s fat intakes should contribute 20 to 35
percent of total food energy and carbohydrate intakes should contribute 45
to 65 percent, that leaves 10 to 35 percent for protein.
 In a 2000-kcalorie diet, that represents 200 to 700 kcalories from protein, or 50
to 175 grams.
 RDA FOR PROTEIN
 0.8 -1.2 g/kg/day
 10 to 35% of energy intake

 Protein recommendations for athletes: 1.2–1.7 g/kg/day

 HOW TO CALCULATE
RECOMMENDED PROTEIN INTAKES
 Look up the healthy weight for a person of your height (inside back cover). If your
present weight falls within that range, use it for the following calculations. If your
present weight falls outside the range, use the midpoint of the healthy weight range as
your reference weight.
 Convert pounds to kilograms, if necessary (pounds divided by 2.2 equals kilograms).
 Multiply kilograms by 0.8 to get your RDA in grams per day.
 Teens 14 to 18 years old, multiply by 0.85.
 Example: Weight = 150 lb
 =150 lb ÷ 2.2 = 68 kg (rounded off)
 =68 kg × 0.8 g/kg = 54 g protein (rounded off)