Protein

• Protein is made up of of four elements:Carbon,Hydrogen,Oxygen,and Nitrogen.(CHON)
• Protein is the only nutrient that contains Nitrogen(H).This element is needed for the growth and repair of every cell in the body.
• Protein is made up of a chain of smaller units called amino acids.Amino acids are linked together by peptide links.
• Before digestion,the amino acids are being held together by the peptide links
• Enzymes are substances that help chemical reactions.During digestion,enzymes break down amino acids.
• There are two types of protein: High Biological Value proteins(HBV) and Low Biological value proteins(LBV)
• High Biological Value: These are proteins that contain all or most of the essential amino acids needed by the body. Essential amino acids are those the body cannot make itself,so they must come from food. Most HBV proteins are found in animal sources, e.g. meat
• Low Biological Value: These are proteins that do not contain many essential amino acids and usually come from plant sources,e.g. cereals
• HBV proteins also come from meat alternatives and they are foods made from vegan or vegetarian ingredients as a replacement for meat.
• The sources where you can get HBV protein foods is from meat,eggs,milk,fish,cheese,yoghurt,soya beans and meat alternatives(textured vegetable protein and mycoprotein)
• The foods where you will find LBV protein foods is from peas,lentils,beans,nuts and cereals
• The RI for protein is that adults need at least 50g of protein,or approximately 0.75g for every 1kg of body weight. Children and teenagers need more because they grow up quickly.
• The functions for protein is: Protein is needed for the growth and repair of all body cells(skin,blood,tissues and bones).It produces heat and energy and It is necessary for the production of important substances in the body,e.g. hormones,enzymes and antibodies(which fight disease)
• The protein deficiency symptoms include : poor or stunted growth with muscle wasting, slow healing of wounds, hair breakage and loss, poor general health and hormone and enzyme imbalances