ULTIMATE GUIDE to PROTEIN

An Informational Report ULTIMATE GUIDE to PROTEIN The Building Blocks of Life Disclaimer: The information in this report is presented for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified healthcare provider. We do not intend to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Consult with your healthcare provider prior to using any advice or product mentioned in this report. The reader of this report is highly recommended to investigate the safety and efficacy of any natural or alternative therapy, diet, nutritional advice, supplement or health modification program before commencing. Proteins What are they and why are they needed for life itself? Proteins are astonishing nutrients because they are so fundamental to our very make up and existence as humans. Our cells, organs, muscles, connective tissue, and even our bones could not hold together as the key body parts they are without the help of protein. This importance of protein to our very structure is only one function played by proteins and are equally important to our metabolism because all enzymes in our body that help trigger chemical reactions are proteins. Many of our most important regulatory hormones, like insulin, are also proteins. So are many of the key molecules in our immune system as are the major molecules used to carry nutrients around our body. Whether they are structural proteins, immunoproteins, hormonal proteins, transport proteins, or enzymes, proteins are of utmost importance to our health. • It is a component of every cell in your body. In fact, hair and nails are mostly made of protein. • Your body uses it to build and repair tissue. • You need it to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. • It is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Like carbohydrates and fat, protein is a “macronutrient,” (the slang buzz word going around today means Fats, Proteins and Carbohydrates) meaning that you need relatively large amounts of it to stay healthy. (Vitamins and minerals, which you only need in small quantities, are called “micronutrients.”) Unlike carbohydrates and fat, your body does not store protein, so it has no reservoir to draw from when you’re running low. Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. As I mentioned - hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. As a matter of fact, your DNA is a protein itself! Of all the major food molecules, proteins are the most challenging and ever changing. Expose proteins to a little heat, acid, salt or air and their behavior changes drastically. This changeability reflects their biological mission. Carbs and fats are mainly passive forms of stored energy, or structural materials. But proteins are the active machinery of life. They assemble all the molecules that make a cell, themselves included, and tear them down as well. They move molecules from one place in the cell to another and in the form of muscle fibers, they move our whole bodies around. They’re at the heart of all organic activity, growth, and movement. So it’s the nature of proteins to be active and sensitive. Structure of Protein Proteins are made up of smaller molecules called amino acids that are strung together by chemical bonds like beads on a chain. To become an active, functional protein, this string of amino acids folds in on itself forming a twisted and entwined three-dimensional structure. Proteins come in many sizes. Some chains of amino acids are quite small, like the hormone insulin that is only 51 amino acids long. Most proteins however, are larger. Most of proteins in your body contain between 200-400 amino acids. So proteins are formed by linking the amine nitrogen of one amino acid with a carbon atom of another amino acid, and then repeating this “peptide bond” to make a chain dozens or hundreds of amino acids long. Amino Acids There are about 21 different kinds of amino acids that occur in significant qualities in food. Particular protein molecules are dozens to hundreds of amino acids long and often contain many of the 21 different kinds. Short chains of amino acids are called peptides. Amino Acids and Peptides contribute flavor. A couple aspect of amino acids are especially important for us when it comes to cooking proteins. First, amino acids participate in the browning reactions that generate flavor at high cooking temperatures. Second, many single amino acids and short peptides have tastes of their own, and in foods where proteins have been partly broken down (aged cheeses, cured hams, soy sauce) these tastes can contribute to the overall flavor. Most tasty amino acids are either sweet or better to some degree, and a number of peptides are also bitter. A large proportion of our cells, muscles and tissue is made up of amino acids, meaning they carry out many important bodily functions, such as giving cells their structure. They also play a key role in the transport and the storage of nutrients. Amino acids have an influence on the function of organs, glands, tendons and arteries. They are furthermore essential for healing wounds and repairing tissue, especially in the muscles, bones, skin and hair as well as for the removal of all kinds of waste deposits produced in connection with the metabolism (in other words – they help take out the trash). The study of the importance of amino acids for human well-being is on the increase. Meirion Jones, a well-known BBC journalist, reported that contrary to years ago, many doctors have now confirmed that a supply of amino acids (also by way of nutritional supplements) can have positive effects. Jones explains the changes in medical opinion in the following way: “Unfortunately, in the real world countless factors are working to prevent our bodies from receiving a full and balanced supply of these all-important substances. Among these factors are the pollution caused by burning fossil-fuels, the hormones fed to cattle, the intensive use of fertilizers in agriculture, and even habits such as smoking and drinking, all of which can prevent our bodies from fully using what we eat. Worse still is the amount of nutrition that is lost from our food through processing before we actually get to eat it. By providing the body with optimal nutrition, amino acids help to replace what is lost and, in doing so, promote well-being and vitality.” A recent study from Germany has revealed that older people in particular are more prone to suffering from malnutrition. “If the body is lacking in the minimum energy and nutrients, the body cannot carry out its bodily and mental functions. Without the necessary vitamins, proteins (amino acids), trace elements and minerals, there is a risk of debilities and metabolic disorders which can have serious consequences.” Of the 21 amino acids coded for by the DNA of multicellular organisms, adult humans can only synthesize 12 of them. The other nine must be consumed in the diet, so we call them essential amino acids. Essential Nonessential Histidine Alanine Isoleucine Arginine* Leucine Aspartate Lysine Cysteine* Methionine Glutamate Phenylalanine Glutamine* Threonine Glycine* Tryptophan Proline* Valine Serine* Tyrosine* Asparagine* Selenocysteine * = conditionally essential It’s actually far more complicated than “essential” or “non-essential”. Some amino acids can be converted to each other, but not created from scratch. Some amino acids can be synthesized, but not rapidly enough to meet all our metabolic needs. And children can’t synthesize some of the amino acids that adults can. Peptides Peptides are chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins in the skin. To put it simply, they are basically just small proteins. When peptides form a long chain of amino acids, they become proteins. They are able to penetrate the top layer of our skin and send signals to our cells to let them know how to function. There’s a lot of buzz about peptides in the fitness world these days. Various peptides are recommended for burning fat, building muscle, and improving athletic performance. Peptides have many functions in the body, some act like neurotransmitters, others like hormones. Many control and influence how our bodies react to diet and physical exercise. Glutamine and creatine peptides are very popular as you end up with quicker absorption, fewer side effects, and more bang for your buck from these versions of the supplements that are now available. There are also the more general amino acid peptide formulations available that deliver a whole spectrum of amino acids in a pill or powder form. They usually are referred to as “pre-digested” proteins or peptides. They may be beneficial for many who are looking to ensure an adequate amount of amino acids in a stable, more easily digested form. On a side note here that may interest you: One important protein in our skin is collagen. Collagen gives our skin its thickness, suppleness, and tone. When collagen breaks down in the skin (from age and environmental factors like the sun and stress), wrinkles form. Peptides applied topically to the skin can send a signal to collagen to prompt the formation of new collagen, and voila, you have the appearance of more youthful, healthy skin. Why Do We Need To Eat Protein Every Day? Some nutrients, like vitamin B12, are stored within the body and released when needed—although we must consume a certain amount on average, we don’t have to do so every day in order to keep ourselves healthy.

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