Protein is a necessary building block of human health. Your organs, tissues, muscles and hormones are all made from proteins. As it is broken down in the digestive track, the amino acids in the protein are freed up and used by just about every body function. You may be surprised to know that protein occurs in almost every food in varying amounts. Everyone needs protein in their diet, yet the amount that is needed varies widely depending on an individual’s needs, activity levels, and health goals. In addition to being essential for a healthy functioning body, there are many benefits to eating protein.
Brain Health & Moods
The brain requires a steady supply of amino acids from protein in order to keep concentration, focus, and energy levels up. Protein is also needed in order for someone to feel emotionally balanced on a day-to-day basis. This is because certain amino acids from protein foods are needed to balance hormones and they help control your mood. These amino acids are turned into neurotransmitters for the brain. For example, GABA, is a neurotransmitter that allows us to relax and go to sleep at night while glutamate prepares us for high mental acuity. Both GABA and glutamate can be derived from glutamine, an amino acid found in many different foods.
Muscle Development
Your body is constantly going through a balance of breaking down and repairing muscle tissue. Having adequate amino acids in the diet is critical for building muscle, repairing damaged tissues, and also for supporting tendon and ligaments. The amount of protein you need will vary depending on your activities. If you are highly physically active, especially lifting heavy weights, then higher amounts of will be needed in order to build and repair muscles. In addition, having lean muscle mass on the body is a great way to boost fat burning potential. Consuming enough quality protein is a great way to ensure maintenance of lean muscle mass.
Weight Management
Another benefit of eating protein is that protein-rich foods tend to be more filling than carbohydrate rich and/or high fat foods. There is evidence showing that increasing your protein intake can actually help you to feel full for longer after a meal and prevent the tendency to indulge in frequent snacking. It’s usually much easier to overeat carbohydrates, especially if they’re refined or sweetened, than it is to overeat healthy protein foods. Another benefit of eating protein is that it stimulates a process in the body called thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is basically just regulates the temperature in the body and is often associated with increased fat burning.
Balance Blood Sugar
Protein-rich foods tend to have a lower glycemic index score. The tendency for your blood sugar to fluctuate is determined by a foods glycemic index score. If you consume large amounts of carbohydrate rich and high-glycemic foods on a daily basis, it can contribute to blood sugar imbalances. In fact, consuming a protein-rich food along with carbs can help to lower the blood sugar response a given meal has on your body. While reducing carbohydrate intake overall is likely a more powerful way to stabilize blood sugar, combining blood sugar stabilizing foods can be powerful as well. The big benefit of eating protein to keep your blood sugar balanced is that it can help prevent type 2 diabetes, balance energy levels, and keep your appetite and mood in check.
Bones and Heart Health
Another benefit of eating protein is that they contain important bone-building nutrients like calcium and magnesium. A diet high in protein from whole, nutrient-rich foods can help heal broken bones and prevent bone weakness, fractures and even osteoporosis by increasing calcium absorption and helping with bone metabolism.
More and more research is pointing to the positive relationship between protein intake and the risk of heart disease. Higher protein diets also appear to one of the natural remedies for high blood pressure. Finally, substituting carbohydrate rich foods with protein results in lower LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels. One reason this might be true is because higher protein diets balance blood sugar and tend to help prevent other heart disease-related causes, including obesity and diabetes.
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