hormones

The prevailing notion from many nutritionists, fitness trainers, dieticians, and doctors is that one protein source is as good as another. If one looks at the labels of some common foods for protein content we see:

1. Balance Bar, 14 grams of protein

2. Whey powder one scoop, 16 grams

3. Egg white, 3 grams

4. Whole egg, 6 grams

5. Can of tuna fish, 28 grams

6. Soy protein one scoop 14 grams

7. Cup of kidney beans, 8 grams

The usual thought pattern goes like this....."If I weigh 120 pounds, then I need 60-120 grams per day of protein, (depending on activity level), so I look on the labels and add up the total grams of protein I ate for the day, and if it falls in the above range, then I have met my protein requirements for that day."

But is this valid?

Does a gram of tuna = a gram of whey = a gram of soy = equal a gram of egg in building protein in one's body?

The answer is no. But before I tell you why, let's go over a little basic protein chemistry.

In actuality, the body does not have a "protein "requirement.

The proteins we eat are digested into smaller units called amino acids and these amino acids are absorbed into the body and then reassembled into our own proteins. So what we have is an essential amino acid requirement.

In nature there are 22 amino acids that are commonly found in foods that we eat. Eight of these amino acids are called "essential" amino acids because with them our bodies can make the other 14 that we need for our tissues.

Each food protein has a different mix of the 22 amino acids. Some have the right balance of the eight essentials amino acids that allow our bodies to easily assemble proteins from them. They are called high biological value proteins. The best examples of this are meat, fish, poultry and whole eggs. Other foods, that have a poor mix of essential amino acids, such that the body cannot easily make them into proteins, are known as low biological value proteins. Examples of these are whey, soy, beans, nuts, and egg whites.

Therefore when a protein is eaten and digested, and depending on its mixture of amino acids, one of two things will happen. Either:

The amino acids are incorporated into body proteins OR
These amino acids are broken down and are burned for energy or stored as fat or glycogen. In this process nitrogen waste is also created. Nutrition scientists can measure the various protein foods and calculate what percentage of that protein will be used to build body proteins, or will be broken down into an energy source.

The bottom line is that we need a daily supply of essential amino acids to make the proteins that keep our body working properly.

These proteins make up the structure of our tissues. They are also used to make certain hormones (thyroid, melatonin, growth hormone, and others), they are used to make neurotransmitters like adrenalin and serotonin, they are used to make bone, skin, hair and nails, they are also are made into enzymes for generating energy and digesting food, and they are also the basic parts of the immune system.

During the daily wear and tear of life, and especially if a person is doing physically demanding workouts, then the protein needs are greater. This is also true of someone after a traumatic accident or surgery.

If the protein amounts or quality in the diet not sufficient to meet the body's needs then broken down tissues never return to normal, or do so more slowly. Many have even conjectured that to a large extent, the aging process is the gradual breakdown of protein in the body without the needed repair.

It has been commonly believed that one protein is as effective as another in building or rebuilding body tissue. But when we look at this scientifically we can measure that protein from one type of food is not the same as a protein from another type of food for building body protein.

We define protein quality as the ratio of how much of a dietary protein is made into our own body protein versus how much is broken down. This is expressed as a percentage called Net Nitrogen Usage (NNU).

While not commonly known, or promoted, the foods which include soy, whey, egg whites, and amino acid supplements commonly found in the marketplace have a usage rate in building proteins of only 17%. If one takes an 18 gram scoop of whey protein, only 17% of this will be incorporated as protein into the body or only about 3 grams! The other 15 grams is not made into body protein but ends up as an extra 60 calories plus toxic nitrogen waste that the body must get rid of.

How disappointing it is to find out that 18 grams of whey, or soy, or egg whites yields only 3 grams of actual protein building nutrition and 15 grams --60 CALORIES-to be worked off in the gym or stored as you know what!

Meat, poultry and fish are much better at an average 30% NNU and the best food source of protein is whole chicken egg at 48%.

But even then only 48% of that protein is utilized to make protein in the body and 52% is more calories and nitrogen waste.

In summary, one shouldn't be fooled into thinking that all protein sources are all equal. "Protein bars" that use whey, soy or casein are not sources of high biological value protein. Egg whites are not a good protein food. Vegans beware because all the vegetable proteins are very low NNU foods. Even combining them does not substantially improve the protein content.

Those that eat a diet plentiful in free range, antibiotic and hormone free animal protein while avoiding processed meats have a better chance of meeting their daily requirements.....if, they are able to sufficiently chew it, digest it, and absorb it. This presumes that the stomach, small intestine and pancreas are normal. For many this is not the case and while they may be eating high quality proteins, their body is not able to use them. For example, this occurs in people using anti acids or ulcer drugs. These medications will block the stomach from having an acid environment which is necessary to digest protein.

Factually, we find that most people are protein deficient for either lack of eating enough quality protein or from inability to digest and absorb it. Therefore it makes sense for anyone interested in improved health, to supplement one's protein needs with a product that does not require digestion and can be utilized nearly completely to manufacture body proteins. With improved protein nutrition, a more optimum state of health can be attained and enjoyed.

At BodyHealth we promote a product called MAP. It is made up of a patented blend of the 8 essential amino acids. This supplement is 99% utilized into making proteins and less than 1% is turned into calories or waste. It requires no digestion and is in the blood stream within 22 minutes so the protein building process can begin. For further information on MAP go to http://www.bodyhealth.com/html/biobuilde/index.asp.

Dr. David Minkoff founded BodyHealth in March of 2000 to fulfill the need for a company that could assist doctors by providing them with the best supplementation possible for their patients. His mission is to educate doctors and the public with the correct know-how and products to improve the body's condition, and to provide them with the products needed to do that.

Dr. Minkoff's newsletter "The BodyHealth Fitness Newsletter" gives you the data you need to keep yourself informed on what is going on in the quagmire of health information, and move you through it with practical solutions to preserve and enhance your health. For more information about Dr. Minkoff go to http://www.drminkoff.com/.

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