Protein

At a cellular level protein is the macronutrient responsible for building and repairing the body. Without an adequate protein supply, wounds wouldn’t heal, hair and nails wouldn’t grow and muscles would shrink. Put simply, protein is vital for sustaining life.

Proteins are also known as amino acids- this confuses the matter. There are 20 amino acids- these are tiny molecules that when are structured in certain orders form different proteins. There are both essential and non-essential amino acids. The human body cannot produce essential amino acids; therefore it is ESSENTIAL that they are ingested from food sources. The non-essential amino acids can be fabricated by the body. When a protein contains all of the essential amino acids, it is said to have a complete amino acid profile.
One gram of protein contains 4 Kcal of energy.