Why Use A Protein Supplement

posted by A Life Fully Alive @ 1:08 PM
July 31, 2009

drinking-proteinEven though there is much debate from the health community on what form of protein is best. The good news is regardless of your preference if you are in a modern industrialized country you will not lack for resources.

The the most important thing to keep in mind is that what ever your preference is it needs to be a”complete” protein. This why a protein supplement can be a great resource to meet your daily requirements of protein. It is important to know that a Complete Protein is  a source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all of the essential amino acids for the bodies dietary needs. These essential amino acids should include the following in adequate ratios histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. The reason they are considered essential is because our body does not produce them. Therefore we need to get them from other sources such as meats, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, yogurt, and milk.  Supplements such as protein shakes or protein bars are also an excellent way to get your daily complete protein and reduce the intake of saturated fats.

An important note to all this is that failure to obtain enough of even 1 of the 10 essential amino acids can have serious health implications and can result in degradation of the body’s proteins. Muscle and other protein structures may be dismantled to obtain the one amino acid that is needed. “Unlike fat and starch, the human body does not store excess amino acids for later use the amino acids must be in the food every day. This is why a supplement containing a full profile of amino acids like a protein shake or protein bar can be very important in getting an adequate amount of  complete protein every day to to maintain healthy muscle tissue.