Page 33 - Fall2011

Protein:

Building Blocks of the Body

All Proteins Are Not the Same

by Fred Kummerow, PhD

P

rotein is in the spotlight these days, with articles

touting diets high in protein and advertisements for
protein powders in the media. Protein is, of course,

an important building block in the body, but it is not the
only building block. And furthermore, protein is made up

of a variety of substances, with the result that not all pro-
tein sources are equal in value.

Here are some of the facts about proteins: protein is essential to a healthy
heart and a healthy body; animal sources of protein including eggs are “bet-
ter” for you nutritionally since they contain all of the essential amino acids;
as with most nutrients and vitamins, both too much and too little protein
have detrimental effects on the body; and, protein cannot be “stocked” up
like fat but must be eaten daily. Protein is the basic nutrient and plays an
essential role in carrying cholesterol and preventing heart disease.
The human body in its complexity needs dozens of nutritive substances.
The one that stands before all others is protein, or proteins, since there is
not one but hundreds of kinds of protein.
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