Protein Fast Facts
Written By: coach on September 23, 2011
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What is Protein?
- antibodies that fight disease
- enzymes that digest food
- hormones that regulate growth and development
- muscles that let us move
Amino Acids
- the human body uses twenty different amino acids
- eleven of them are manufactured by the adult body
- nine cannot be manufactured and must be supplied by diet
Protein and Mental Alertness
- the brain has precursors assembled into neurotransmitters that carry instructions to move or to stay alert or to take a nap
- the two neurotransmitters necessary for alertness are norepinephrine and dopamine
- tyrosine is an essential precursor for their manufacture
- blood levels of tyrosine are elevated for several hours after eating protein rich food
- more protein leads to more alertness
Are Certain Types of Protein Better Than Others?
- nutritionists classify proteins by how many amino acids they provide
- protein which provides all of the essential amino acids is called a complete protein
- most animal proteins are complete proteins
- many plant-based proteins are incomplete
- two or more incomplete proteins can be combined to make a complete protein
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