Source of protein. Plant protein and animal protein

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Protein is an organic substance consisting of amino acids connected by a peptide bond. Proteins in the human body are formed from 20 specific amino acids, some of which are essential and must be supplied with food.

The role of protein in the body

Proteins are a source of energy, one of the three most important components and building blocks. First of all, building elements: approximately 2/3 of the protein that enters the body is used to build its own proteins, 1/3 is broken down for energy.

In the human body, these substances perform many different functions: these are enzymes, and building material (keratin, which makes up nails and hair - protein), and regulators of reactions occurring in the body, and signal translators.

Proteins are in the shell and inside the cell, catalyze and accelerate chemical reactions occurring in the body.

In addition, they perform protective, transport and reserve, receptor and motor functions (a separate class of proteins ensures the movement of leukocytes, reductionmuscles, etc.). Of course, each task has its own type of protein, but they are all built from standard "building blocks".

Complete and incomplete protein

Proteins do not accumulate in the body, so they must be supplied regularly from the outside. And this is where the division into complete and inferior proteins comes into play. Dietary protein sources provide either one type of protein or another.

Complete - those that have in their composition all 20 "bricks" -amino acids. Incomplete - proteins that do not contain one or more of the necessary amino acids, or are present, but in too small quantities. However, the body must receive from the outside 8 essential amino acids that it cannot synthesize itself. Hence the general "race" for complete proteins (which contain everything, including these eight amino acids).

Protein sources: animal and vegetable

The source of protein for humans is animals and plants. And there, and there are proteins. The "official" opinion of modern experts says that every day you need to eat from 45 to 100 grams of protein. Animal meat is considered a good source of complete proteins, while plants, according to many experts, do not contain complete proteins.

The conclusion of the WHO working group says this: even with complete vegetarianism, the body still receives all the necessary substances. Why? Because there is a mutual addition of amino acids from different dishes and components.

Competentlythe planned vegetarian menu is complete, it supplies the body with everything that is needed, in addition, it can even be therapeutic and dietary. According to studies conducted at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, a sufficient amount of vegetables, fruits and nuts contain complete protein. Thus, both vegetable protein and animal protein are suitable for nutrition.

Meat and semi-finished products from it

Animal protein can be obtained from the meat of mammals, birds, fish. Chickens, rabbits, cows, pigs, sheep, various sea and river fish are unprocessed sources of protein. Sausages, sausages, stew - if these products are natural and made according to GOST, they also contain suitable protein.

Products with high quality protein - eggs and dairy products. Chicken eggs provide almost perfect protein, moreover, they are digested very well. They have very few drawbacks, but you should not eat them raw - heat treatment promotes better absorption of nutrients and getting rid of microbes.

Much the same goes for dairy products. Whey proteins are digested very well, in terms of their amino acid composition, of all products, they are closest to the amino acid composition of human muscle tissue. The main source of these proteins is whey, which is obtained in the production of rennet cheeses.

Table of proteins "in products":

The protein myth

Until the end of the twentieth century, it was believed thatonly meat and products from it contain a complete protein. On English-language resources, this opinion is called the “protein myth”. However, it has since been proven that soybeans also contain all the essential amino acids.

Vegetable Protein Source

Among plants, a complete source of protein is soy and products from it (for example, tofu). Also whole proteins are buckwheat, amaranth, cilantro and hemp seeds, as well as spirulina algae. And if it is difficult to find amaranth, cilantro or hemp in these latitudes, then spirulina and supplements from it are generally available and sold in pharmacies and he alth food stores.

In addition, plants with so-called incomplete proteins are also able to satisfy the need for protein. All you need is to combine them correctly.

For example, the protein table says that legumes and mushrooms are rich in isoleucine and lysine, while cereals and nuts are rich in tryptophan and sulfur-containing amino acids. By combining various components, we end up with everything we need.

Milk protein

In the "golden era" of bodybuilding, many stars and champions of this sport drank fresh milk. The strong men of that time called it the elixir of strength and drank several liters a day. Doctors agreed with them on this, prescribing dairy products as medicine to their patients.

Today's sources of protein in the nutrition of athletes are industrially created supplements. Scientists have learned to createhighly nutritious and balanced mixtures in which whey protein is present in the most accessible form. Some athletes still try to drink milk - but as the general fear of bacteria is gaining momentum, they drink it boiled or pasteurized.

However, the method of the predecessors was good exactly in the form in which they applied it. Modern pasteurized, sterilized, processed milk bears little resemblance to the product favored by Olympic weightlifting champion John Grimek.

Eggs

Today, whey protein is considered the most easily digestible for humans, but egg protein is inferior to it quite a bit. This protein source provides complete "building blocks" and is considered a reference - other proteins and products are evaluated in comparison with it.

This is one of the most useful products in bodybuilding and powerlifting. Plant protein and animal protein cannot compete with it in effectiveness. Egg protein is actively used for the manufacture of nutritional supplements.

Eggs, like milk, can be consumed at any weight, during weight gain and during weight loss. Bodybuilders eat them in huge quantities - for example, Jay Cutler, four times "Mr. Olympia", eats about 170 egg whites a week, he eats them twice a day.

Special sports nutrition

The usual sources of protein in the diet can be supplemented with special sports supplements, which are developed by the best scientists on behalf of a multi-million dollar industry. This isspecially designed complexes and supplements made according to the latest achievements in the field of nutrition and physiology.

The main protein base in sports supplements is casein or whey protein. The most serious difference between them is that casein protein is absorbed in the body in 5-6 hours, whey - 1.5-3 hours.

Get them in several different ways, resulting in different protein purity and the presence or absence of extraneous fats. However, the technology already makes it possible to obtain a fairly cheap and easily digestible protein that can be used not only by athletes, but also by “ordinary” people.

Artificial proteins

The first artificial protein was created more than ten years ago, and during this time scientists have been able to reach the creation of complex structures. It can be expected that sooner or later products will appear on the market that can replace both meat and plants in this regard. Artificial "meat" has already been created, which scientists grow on the basis of animal cells.

An in vitro protein source may suit everyone, animal rights activists and manufacturers alike, but to do so, the process must first be made cheaper, as it is currently too expensive to mass-produce. And the taste of a piece of food should also meet expectations.

Unfortunately, this method is not suitable for vegetarians - they still have to look for complete proteins in plants. However, this may also change in the near future - science is moving forward with huge strides, and the creation of a synthetic protein for general sale is only a question.time and demand.