Protein

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			Benefits Sources Deficiencies People At Risk

	Pack More Power With Protein
	Max Those Muscles
	Protein, considered an energy yielding nutrient, are modules made up of amino acids, which the body breaks down and absorbs in order to pump up muscles and repair tissues. To fully experience and enjoy the benefits of this "Musclemania", the body needs a 20-count (that's 20 amino acids) to maintain good musculature and live a healthier, more balanced life. The body can go solo and produce most of these amino acids on its own, but eight of the remaining 20 must be obtained by eating foods rich in Protein. These eight remaining amino acids are the essential amino acids. Essential because it is essential that foods that are good sources of amino acids are consumed since the body cannot produce them.

Benefits: Get a Firm Grip on Protein and Amino Acids

The Protein Package

Proteins in the diet and body are more complex and variable than carbohydrates and fat.
Protein-rich foods are more likely to be nutrient dense and provide essential vitamins and minerals used for growth and development of the human body.

The ABC's of Amino Acids
The biological requirement for humans is actually for amino acids – the building block of Protein. Evidence suggests that certain amino acids compete for absorption and therefore intake should be balanced. A tag team of both animal and plant foods contain Protein and essential amino acids which provide balance that bodies need, yet each has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. Amino Acids combine in various ways to make different kinds of protein. Muscle, skin, hair, fingernails, antibodies, hormones and enzymes are made from these proteins.

Animal Foods (particularly eggs)
Supplies amino acids, known as Essential Amino Acids (EAA), that a child's body cannot make on its own. However, don't pin all your hopes on just animal foods.

Plant Foods
Necessary to supplement the EAA's found in animal foods to better satisfy body requirements. Since no one plant food supplies all of the necessary amino acids, vegans (those who eat no animal food products) must eat an array of Protein-packed plant foods to get the EAA they need. Vegetarians who include dairy foods and eggs typically satisfy EAA needs as long as they eat enough.

In this Corner, The Amazin' Amino Acids

When it comes to building muscle, there's no match for Protein, the undisputed title holder. Nutrition experts have weighed in on Protein requirements and they agree that Protein needs are highest on a pound-per-pound basis during infancy. They increase again just before adolescence as the body punches up for another growth spurt.

Kids' daily needs for Protein:

1- to 3-year-olds need about 13 grams
4- to 8-year-olds, 19 grams
9- to 13-year-olds, 34 grams
Older teens, between 46 and 52 grams

	Sources: Pin Protein Hopes on These Foods
	Nearly every animal food, including dairy products, meat, fish and poultry contain eight amino acids. Since the body breaks the amino acids down and redistributes them, eating combinations of foods that have incomplete Proteins can also supply the EAA. Combining legumes and grains in the same meal will give your body complete Proteins; such combinations include tofu (a soybean derivative) and rice, or black beans and corn. The F.D.A. Weighs in on Protein Consumption Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends that Protein make up 10 percent of the total calories consumed every day. What does that equate to? Since Protein has 4 calories per gram… A 2,000-calorie diet would allow for 50 grams of Protein. (The national average consumption of Protein is about 90 grams daily.) The only people who might have trouble getting enough Protein in their diets are some vegetarians who do not eat any animal products, including eggs and milk. However, even they can get enough Protein by consuming foods like lentils, tofu, nuts and peas, all of which are high in Protein.

	Too Little Protein Will Have You Down and Out
	Deficiency Symptoms: Protein deficiency in children can impair growth. In adults, it can cause loss of hair and muscle mass. Increased risk of heart attack due to high blood pressure

	People at Risk: Don't Take the Fall
	Protein deficiency can happen, but it's pretty rare. Don't get all calories from alcohol and/or sugar - Sugar and hard liquor contain no Protein Avoid giving infants foods which they cannot digest (e.g. whole muscle meats, hard cheeses, etc.)

Sources:
USDA - Nutrient Data Lab (Sept. 1996)
USDA School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children
US Dept of health and Human Services, Guidelines for School health programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating, June 1996
CNN.com, Food Resource Planner
2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College.
AHA Science Advisory: Stanol/Sterol Ester-Containing Foods and Blood Cholesterol Levels, #71-0201 Circulation. 2001;103:1177
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, School Lunch Report, August 2004
WebMD Health
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
AHA Conference Proceedings: Summary of the Scientific Conference on Dietary Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health, #71-0200 Circulation. 2001;103:1034-1039
Journal of Epidemiology (May, 1992)
The Vitamin and Nutrition Center, 2004