Protein: The Essential Building Blocks

Sep 22, 2024

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Introduction
Ah protein. The thing that most normal people aren’t talking about, but the one that people interested in health and wellness can’t shut up about (myself included lol). Protein is the third and final macronutrient that I will be discussing, and I’ve saved the most important for last. Check out my other 2 micronutrient analyses: Fat: The Innocent Criminal? and Carbs: The Devil in Disguise?.

Why is Protein so Important?
Protein is made up of what’s known as amino acids. There are 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential. “Essential” means that the body does not create them on its own. Therefore, you must consume these 9 amino acids in order to survive and thrive. The other 11 are considered “nonessential”. You still need them to survive, but they can be created by your body itself. Here are the 9 essential amino acids, along with 3 key roles that each one plays in your body:

Histidine
- Digestion
- Immune response
- Maintaining myelin
Isoleucine
- Energy regulation
- Hemoglobin production
- Muscle metabolism
Leucine
- Muscle repair
- Regulate blood sugar
- Stimulate wound healing
Lysine
- Calcium abosption
- Enzyme and hormone production
- Protein synthesis
Methionine
- Absorption of selenium and zinc
- Detoxification
- Metabolism
Phenylalanine
- Dopamine production
- Epinephrine and norepinephrine production
- Structure of enzymes
Threonine
- Energy production
- Fat metabolism
- Support skin and connective tissue
Tryptophan
- Control appetite
- Regulate mood and sleep
- Seratonin production
Valine
- Aid in muscle regeneration
- Energy production
- Stimulate muscle growth

Any food containing all 9 of these amino acids is considered to be a “complete protein”. Amounts of each amino acid do vary from food to food, but there is at least a significant source of all 9 amino acids available in a complete protein. All animal based products are complete protein sources, such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. There are some plant foods that are complete proteins, such as tofu and quinoa; however, for the most part plant proteins are “incomplete proteins”, meaning they lack 1 or more essential amino acids. Not all proteins are created equal.

Proteins are the building blocks for your body. Your body breaks down proteins into their amino acids, and uses them to perform most bodily functions. Protein isn’t just used for muscle growth; protein plays a vital role in all of the following:

Energy production and hormone regulation
Increased metabolism and aid in proper digestion
Increased muscle growth
Muscle and skeletal maintenance
Proper cell structure
Reduced soreness and fatigue
Transportation of oxygen, cholesterol, and glucose throughout the body
Wound healing and immune health

Other Benefits of Protein
Protein is arguably the most important nutrient, and for good reason. A proper protein intake is linked with all of the following health benefits:

Build muscle, skin, bones, and cartilage
Decreased irritability
Fat loss and boosted metabolism
Healthy hair, skin, and nails
Improved exercise performance and recovery
Improved immune system and decreased sickness
Increased energy and mood
Increased satiety and decreased hunger
Lower cholesterol
Lower blood pressure
Lower blood sugar
Muscle growth
Regular hormones
Repair tissue
Reverse diabetes
Slow down aging
Support bone health
Wound healing

How Much to Consume?
Protein is one of the 3 main macronutrients, along with fat and carbs. 1 gram of protein supplies about 4 calories, as opposed to 9 calories for fat and 4 calories for carbohydrates. A standard nutrition label sets 50 g of protein as 100% DV, but realistically you should be consuming much more than this, as this measurement is purely to prevent deficiencies. Ideally, you consume somewhere between 0.7 g and 1.0 g of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weight 150 pounds, you should aim to consume anywhere between 105 g and 150 g of protein every day to maintain optimal skeletal function and promote muscle growth.

What Kind to Consume?
Unlike fat and carbs, there are really no “bad” protein sources, though some are better than others. As mentioned above, animal protein sources are almost always better, as not only are they complete proteins, but the protein itself is more bioavailable. With animal proteins, the main thing you would want to watch out for is fat content or the context in which the meat is served, such as being fried or served on bread.

Plant proteins on the other hand mostly lack all 9 essential amino acids, while also being less bioavailable. For example, DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score) is a measure of the quality of a given protein, ranging from 0 to 1. Whereas animal based sources all score at 1.00 (or higher), most plant protein sources fail to reach this. 1 gram of beef protein is equivalent to only about 0.6 g of protein from beans or 0.4 g of protein from bread.

I also want to quickly talk about protein powders. The most common protein powder is whey, but casein is popular as well. These are the 2 milk proteins, and are thus complete protein sources. Vegetarian protein powders on the market are often made from soy, peas, rice, or peanuts, where some of these are not complete proteins.

Remember that protein powders are supplements afterall. Protein powder should not be your main source of protein; rather, they should be supplemental, and provide more when needed. I consume protein powder almost every day, but I always try to get my protein from whole food sources first. I have plenty of breakfast recipes and protein powder desserts using protein powder to help you hit your daily protein goals. There’s more to protein powder than just protein shakes.

Check out one of my previous posts What is the Best Protein Source, where I broke down over 60 high protein foods, and ranked them according to their price and bioavailability.

High Protein Foods to Avoid or Limit

Fatty meats:
- 80% lean ground beef or turkey
- Fatty cuts of steak or pork
- Skin on chicken thighs

Fried foods:
- Chicken fingers and nuggets
- Chicken and waffles
- Chicken parmesean
- Chicken wings
- Coconut shrimp
- Corn dogs
- Falafel
- Fried calamari
- Fried chicken
- General Tso’s chicken
- Kung Pao chicken

Meat dishes:
- Burritos
- Cheeseburgers
- Chicken alfredo
- Lasagna
- Meatlovers pizza
- Nachos
- Pulled pork
- Ribs
- Sandwiches
- Wraps

Processed meats:
- Bacon
- Cold cuts
- Hot dogs
- Pepperoni
- Salami
- Sausage

High Protein Foods to Moderate or Consume Often

Dairy:
- Casein protein powder
- Cottage cheese (any fat %)
- Fresh mozzarella
- Greek yogurt (plain, any fat %)
- Low moisture, part skim, shredded mozzarella
- Milk (any fat %)
- Whey protein powder

Eggs:
- Egg whites
- Whole eggs

Fish (canned)
- Anchovies
- Clams
- Mackerel
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Tuna

Fish (fresh)
- Clams
- Cod
- Crab
- Cuttlefish
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Oysters
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Tuna
- Tilapia

Grains:
- Amaranth
- Brown rice
- Buckwheat
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Vital wheat gluten (seitan)

Lean Meats:
- 93% lean ground beef or turkey
- Chicken breast
- Liver
- Lean cuts of steak or pork
- Skinless chicken thighs
- Turkey breast
- Venison

Legumes (canned or dried):
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Dark red kidney beans
- Green lentils
- Light red kidney beans
- Lupin beans
- Pinto beans
- Red lentils
- Soybeans
- Tofu

Nuts:
- Almonds
- Brazil nuts
- Cashews
- Macadamia nuts
- Natural nut butters
- Peanuts
- Powdered peanut butter
- Pecans
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios
- Walnuts

Seeds:
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Natural seed butters
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds

Vegetables:
- Edamame
- Corn
- Peas

Sources