Important to know
03/10/2020
Recently we have had several interesting questions about proteins and their intake. With this in mind, we thought we would write a series of themed articles to clarify some of the questions and help you choose and maintain a healthy diet.

What are proteins?

Proteins are an essential nutritional factor for our body as they are the only source of nitrogen. They are the basic components of all animal and plant cells and make up 50% of our body mass without water and about 14-18% of our total body weight.  They are the main component of the muscles that allow our body to move, our heart to beat and our lungs to breathe; they are located in the tendons, blood vessels and teeth and are essential for maintaining the integrity, elasticity and tone of the skin.

Proteins and their dual role:

These macronutrients play both a structural role, because they are the building blocks of the various organic tissues, and a functional role, because they intervene in all metabolic activities. Inside our body, they enable the transport of oxygen in the blood, minerals, sugars and fats; they form structures called enzymes that participate in all the chemical reactions necessary for life. Many hormones (e.g. insulin), the antibodies of the immune system (immunoglobulins), which protect us from the attack of viruses and bacteria, are proteins. 

Proteins are also a source of energy; when there is a lack of sugar they provide 4 kcal per gram. 

During digestion, dietary proteins are broken down into smaller elementary units called amino acids, which, once ingested, enable our body to produce the proteins it needs for its growth and "maintenance" processes (tissue repair and renewal, etc.). Proteins in the body do not exist as stable units, but are subject to a continuous exchange; they are continuously broken down and replaced by new and similar protein molecules through a process called protein turnover. Humans and animals therefore constantly need proteins and amino acids to survive. Introducing them with food is essential to ensure an adequate response to protein needs and to maintain good health. 

There are many different types of amino acids in nature, but the best known are 20. 
Of these: 
8 are ESSENTIAL (Leucine, Valine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Methionine, Lysine, Threonine, Tryptophan) because the body has to absorb them with food.
12 are NOT ESSENTIAL because the body is able to produce them itself. 

Protein functions:
- They transport oxygen, sugar, fat and minerals in the blood
- They make up the immune system
- Like enzymes and hormones, they regulate all vital functions
- In the absence of sugar reserves, they provide energy

Discover the products of our protein line or learn about Balance, our slow-release protein blend.