| The Overall Health Benefits of Protein Unfortunately, the emphasis on zero fat diets has resulted in dietary protein getting a bad rap. But does this mean that all proteins are bad for you? No! Protein is GOOD for you. It is necessary for your body to repair, build, and preserve muscle tissue (including your heart). In fact, protein can even help increase strength and endurance, boost your immune system, and may even help support a reduced the risk of cancer. Protein also may help benefit your body in multiple other ways—helping you live a longer, more active, more enjoyable life when proteins are taken in the right amounts, from the right sources. What is protein? Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of all proteins. Moreover, proteins provide the basic structural properties of cells as well as being important to all body tissues. According to Stanley Gershoff, Ph.D., Dean of the Tufts University School of Nutrition, “Protein performs the most important jobs in the body: 1. It’s essential for growth and the repair and formation of new tissues. 2. It’s the regulatory agent for our important body processes, since all enzymes and many hormones are proteins. They transport nutrients and oxygen through our bodies, and because antibodies and other components of our immune system are proteins, they play a major role in fighting diseases. Feed the muscle... starve the fat to a lean body. Are you staying away from protein in hopes of losing weight or body fat? If so, you may want to rethink your strategy. Studies prove that when you decrease your protein intake and increase your carbohydrates you are not benefiting your body at all (See “Study finds consuming more protein and less carbohydrates may be healthier—for men and women!” sidebar). Carbohydrates give you quick energy, but they won’t keep you full. In fact, carbohydrates may help stimulate your body’s fat storage, which may cause you to gain weight. Carbohydrates increase your insulin levels, which in turn shifts your metabolism into storage mode and uses glucose, instead of fat, for energy. Plus, with protein, you stay fuller, longer. Protein: An essential source for good health The dietary protein can affect both the quality of your life and how long you live. What you choose to eat largely determines whether your body wards off or becomes vulnerable to a host of life-shortening diseases, such as cancer, stroke, hypertension, and heart disease. By learning the facts about protein, and changing your eating habits, your body will benefit in many ways—you’ll have more energy, manage your weight better, and have a great head start on reducing your risks for disease. The facts on protein speak for themselves. In the right amounts, from the right sources—protein is good for you. |
 |