Protein is the most important component of the human diet. It contains substances necessary for a number of processes in the body. Often people do not know which foods contain it and how much. As a result, a protein deficiency with all the ensuing consequences.
About protein composition
Protein is a building material for all tissues, a participant in many processes in the body. The formation of new cells is impossible without protein, which is especially dangerous during the period of active growth and development of the body. For example, children under one year old should get 4-5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
Proteins differ in their nutritional value, they differ in the number and combination of amino acids they contain. By origin, protein can be divided into animal and vegetable. The body needs to get 20 amino acids in total.
8 vital amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body, such amino acids are called essential. Essential amino acids must come exclusively from the outside, while non-essential amino acids can be produced from other amino acids. The process of amino acid synthesis proceeds very slowly, therefore the additional intake of nonessential amino acids with food is equally important.
Protein completeness
There is a concept of the usefulness of a protein, it reflects the completeness of the content of essential amino acids in a particular protein. There are no such proteins among the proteins of plant origin. All 8 essential amino acids can only be found in animal proteins.
However, this does not mean that vegetable protein is not healthy and should be neglected. The balance of amino acids in the composition of the protein is also different; there are many representatives of plant protein with a balanced amino acid composition. If there is no certain balance of amino acids in the body, this will negatively affect the synthesis process.
The closer a protein is to a human one, the better its amino acid composition is balanced. The most ideal protein in this sense is considered egg, as well as milk. Proteins from these foods are best absorbed by the body.
Proteins from chicken, fish, beef, pork, and soy also have a high biological value. Soy is the only vegetable protein that is closest in amino acid composition to the animal. Good performance also in proteins of buckwheat, peanuts, beans.
Lack of just one of the eight essential amino acids affects the absorption of others. This does not indicate the need exclusively for animal protein; vegetable protein complements animal protein in terms of amino acid composition. Therefore, it is important to combine these proteins correctly in your meals.
The following food combinations acquire a balanced amino acid composition: legumes and milk, soy and wheat, eggs and potatoes, eggs and cereals, milk and cereals, eggs and milk.
