Protein – what and what for?

Protein serves to produce energy for a human’s body and makes up about a half of its dry weight. Where can we find it? In food. Meat, fish, dairy products, grains and others. This substance provides amino acids for the body but the quantity of amino acids varies from one product to another. While animal products contain the full range of amino acids plant products usually lack some of them. Amino acids are used by the body not only as a source of energy, but also to replace old skin with new one or as building material for other substances.

There is a norm of protein that should be consumed every day, it is a bit higher for children, pregnant women and elderly people. Both overuse and lack of it in a diet are dangerous. The deficiency is more likely to affect vegetarians who don’t consume animal products. At the same time a fat diet based on a high intake of the substance is harmful too.

Actually this is a common mistake of some sportsmen who want to increase muscle mass because those who don’t supplement their diet with the substance gain the muscle mass at the same rate. What you should remember is that the body doesn’t produce this substance itself and you only can get it from food, so to be healthy choose wisely what you eat.