The body receives energy from three sources: fats, carbohydrates, and protein; each of these energy sources is important to ensure proper nutrition. Proteins differ from fats and carbohydrates in that "proteins contain nitrogen atoms in addition to the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that all three energy-yielding nutrients contain (Sizer & Whitney, 2012, p. 190). The nitrogen atoms are amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein.
How protein is used by the body
The body is continuously building new tissue, and the amino acids from proteins are essential to this process. The majority of the body's protein is found in muscle tissue, which allows the body to move; other structural proteins are found in bones, teeth, skin, tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, and other tissues (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). The amino acids found in proteins also play a vital role in regulating hormones which are responsible for detecting and communicating a change in the internal environment of the body and elicit the tissue required to regulate this change (Sizer & Whitney, 2012). Proteins build antibodies that protect the body from foreign particles, when these particles are recognize by the immune system, the particle is marked for destruction. Protein is essential to blood regulation, and helps to transport nutrients to vital organs throughout the body; the protein within blood also helps to regulate the pH of blood by providing a buffer against acids in the bloodstream. Proteins also help to maintain the fluid and electrolyte balance of an individual by allowing cells to absorb the water they need to properly function.Because of the large variety of amino acids needed to form a single protein, individuals are encouraged to gain protein from a variety of different sources. A healthy diet should include protein from poultry, fish, vegetables, legumes, and fruit, and should limit sources that are high in saturated fat and sodium.
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