The Benefits of Protein

What is protein? Why do we need protein? What are the benefits of protein? Find out the protein content of foods from the list of high protein foods below.

Proteins are molecules composed of long chains or specific sequence of amino acids and they are an important component of every cell in the body. Each chain has a specific function such as determining the physical structure of an organism and its biochemical reaction.

When ingested, the stomach breaks down the protein into amino acids with the assistance of certain enzymes. The proteins will be broken down further in the duodenum and pancreas. When all the proteins have been broken down into amino acids, they move to the small intestine and will pass through the capillary walls into the bloodstream and take part in their specific roles.

The Functions and Benefits of Protein

1. It is important to include protein in your diet because some of the essential proteins are not made or stored in the body. Your body requires protein to produce enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals.
   
   
   
2. The benefits of protein include supporting weight loss. A high protein low carb diet will cause the body to burn fat for energy. When the fat is broken down and moves into the blood stream, it suppresses appetite and also causes the body to eliminate more fluid through the urine which will lead to weight loss.
   
   
   
3. Another one the benefits of protein is it reduces the risk of certain conditions and illness caused by protein deficiency. Some of the common ones are Kwashiorkor, Muehrcke's lines or white lines that extend all the way across the nail, brittle, thinning hair or pattern baldness, muscle weakness, fatigue, hyperpigmentation, flaky skin and delayed wound healing. So, the benefits of protein include speeding up cell growth and tissue repairs, supporting healthy hair, nails and skin and also preventing muscle breakdown.
   
   
   
4. Protein also assists in providing a certain amount of energy because it can be converted into glucose.
   
   
   
5. Women who are approaching menopause will gain from the benefits of protein. Soy protein helps increase bone density and may also lessen hot flashes and night sweats.
   
   
   
6. Another one of the benefits of protein is it helps build muscle mass. Body builders are known to take a very high protein diet and consume large amounts of whey protein or protein shakes to help them recover fast by restoring muscle glycogen.

Many people don't want to eat protein from red meat even though it contains most of the full range of essential amino acids. One of the reasons is because of the high level of saturated fat content which can lead to high LDL or bad cholesterol and increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancer and stroke.

You can obtain alternative protein sources from vegetables, nuts and seeds and white meat from fish and poultry. The recommended dietary allowance or RDA of protein for male adults is 56g a day and adult women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding requires 45g of protein a day.

You can check out the protein chart below. Included in the chart is the amount of calories and cholesterol as well as the carbohydrate and fat contents. It will make it easier for you to choose a high protein low carb diet or a low fat high protein diet. Please bear in mind that not all lipids or fats are bad.

The figures are obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database and to make it easy to compare, the figures are based on 100 grams of each type of food source.

Food Source	Calories	Protein	Total Lipid(Fats)	Carbohydrate	Cholesterol
	g	g	g	g	mg
Dried Spirulina	290	57.47	7.72	23.9	0
Raw Mature Soybeans	446	36.49	19.94	30.16	0
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds without Salt	574	29.84	49.05	14.71	0
Raw Lentils	353	25.8	1.06	60.08	0
Cheddar Cheese	403	24.9	33.14	1.28	105
Fresh Yellowfin Tuna	109	24.4	0.49	0	39
Chunky Peanut Butter without Salt	589	24.06	49.94	21.57	0
Dry Roasted Peanuts without Salt	585	23.68	49.66	21.51	0
Raw Kidney Beans	333	23.58	0.83	60.01	0
Raw Turkey Breast	157	21.89	7.02	0	65
Raw Black Beans	341	21.6	1.42	62.36	0
Blue Cheese	353	21.4	28.74	2.34	75
Raw Lean Sirloin Trimmed to 0 Fat	142	21.26	5.63	0	61
Almonds	575	21.22	49.42	21.67	0
Canned Sardine in Tomato Sauce	185	20.86	10.45	0.54	61
Raw Anchovy	131	20.35	4.84	0	60
Wild Atlantic Raw Salmon	142	19.84	6.34	0	55
Roasted Sunflower Seeds without Salt	582	19.33	49.8	24.07	0
Raw Chickpeas	364	19.3	6.04	60.65	0
Atlantic and Pacific Raw Halibut	91	18.56	1.33	0	49
Tempeh	193	18.54	10.8	9.39	0
Raw Abalone	105	17.1	0.76	6.01	0
Dry Roasted Cashew Nuts without Salt	574	15.31	46.35	32.69	0
Walnuts	654	15.23	65.21	13.71	0
Uncooked Chicken Breast	263	14.73	15.75	15.01	41
Uncooked Quinoa	368	14.12	6.07	64.16	0
Uncooked Amaranth	371	13.56	7.02	65.25	0
Buckwheat Flour	335	12.62	3.1	70.59	0
Raw Fresh Eggs	52	10.9	0.17	0.73	0
Raw Sprouted Lentils	106	8.96	0.55	22.4	0
Raw Long Grain Brown Rice	370	7.94	2.92	77.24	0
Plain Low Fat Yogurt	63	5.25	1.55	7.04	6
Goat Milk	69	3.56	4.14	4.45	11
Tofu Yogurt	94	3.5	1.8	15.96	0
Skim Milk	35	3.4	0.18	4.85	2
Raw Yellow Sweet Corn	86	3.27	1.35	18.7	0
Plain Soy Milk	41	2.88	1.65	3.29	0
Raw Broccoli	34	2.82	0.37	6.64	0
Plain Soy Yogurt	66	2.64	1.76	9.69	0
Raw Collards	30	2.45	0.42	5.69	0
Avocado	120	2.23	10.06	7.82	0
Raw Asparagus	20	2.2	0.12	3.88	0
Raw Potatoes	70	1.89	0.14	15.9	0
Dates	277	1.81	0.15	74.97	0
Figs	74	0.75	0.3	19.18	0
Apples	52	0.26	0.17	13.81	0

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