New Day Your Way

Understanding Protein

The word "protein" comes from the Greek word "proteios", which means "of primary importance to life". It's essential to promoting energy, growth and repair of the body, and it's responsible for forming the cells for bone, muscle, skin, nails and hair.

The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that 15% of our diet should consist of protein-this equates to approximately 46g for the average female and 55g for the average male. But how do we work out what quantity suits

our individual requirements? For instance, some of us are inactive while others are sporty-and we all weigh different amounts.

Protein is made up of two different types of amino acid: eight essential ones and twelve non-essential ones. The eight amino acids that are essential to us are the ones that our bodies cannot make, which means we can only get them from what we eat. To add to the challenge, even the non-essential amino acids that are made by our bodies still need a combination of the eight essential ones in order to make them! (Yes, this is hard to get, but there's no easy way to express it.) For good reason, these are known as the body's "building blocks". Since the body doesn't store amino acids, clearly we need to make sure that we include protein in our daily diet.

But from where do we get them? Amino acids are derived from most food sources in varying quantities, but meat is the only source that provides all eight essential amino acids and is, therefore, a "complete protein". The good news for vegetarians is that the essential amino acids may also be obtained from other groups: plant sources, dairy products, grain, legumes, seeds and nuts. These contain "complementary proteins", and what is missing in one group can be obtained from another by combining them and eating from a range of groups. It's easy-here are some examples of typical combinations: eggs on toast, baked beans and baked potato, rice and lentils or vegetables with rice and nuts.

Whether or not you're a vegetarian, make sure you eat from a varied selection of food types. This way, you'll be sure you're getting the right combination of essential amino acids, along with a well-balanced and healthy diet.