A guide to proteins
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Why do we need protein? How can we be sure we're eating enough of the right kinds? Nuffield Health Nutritional Therapist Tracey Strudwick explains.
What is protein?
There are three nutrients that we need in large amounts – proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Proteins in the body are made up of long chains of chemicals called amino acids.
Amino acids can be divided into two groups: non-essential amino acids, which can be made by your body and essential amino acids, which can't be made by your body and must come from your diet.
Why do we need it?
Proteins are used to develop, grow and maintain just about every part of your body, and they're hard at work all the time:
- Making up the structure of collagen and elastin, found in skin, nails and hair
- Maintaining, repairing and growing tissue, collagen and bone
- Producing hormones, such as insulin, and enzymes that carry out the chemical reactions in the body's cells
- Making antibodies to protect against viruses
- Transporting oxygen around your ...
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