Fit Girl: Not All Proteins Are Created Equally

Fit Girl: Not All Proteins Are Created Equally

Friday, February 10, 2012

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We’ve all heard the benefits of dietary protein.

It helps build and sustain muscle, it promotes a healthy immune system function, it burns the most calories during digestion, etc.

So all proteins are created equally, right? If the label says "contains protein," consume it and be healthy, yes? Well, you should know from my previous writings that you can’t believe everything on the label, so you’ve hopefully answered my question with a, “No!”

Unlike humans, proteins are not created equally. There’s a big catch, and that catch is the word “complete.”

Protein is composed of tiny building blocks called amino acids. There are non-essential amino acids that your body produces (and therefore does not need from food), and there are essential amino acids that you must feed your body. Without an adequate intake of essential amino acids, your body can’t be the strong, healthy one it desires to be.

A complete protein contains of all the essential amino acids in the proper proportions. If you’re looking for a list, here it is: animal products, whey or casein powders and soy. (If you’re male, avoid the last one due to its estrogen-like properties.)

While peanut butter, nuts, beans and processed foods do contain protein, they’re not the complete sources your body demands.

A good “scoring system” of protein is the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Store (commonly known as ‘PDCAAS’) because it considers not only the amino acid requirements of humans (as opposed to other methods which use rats) but considers the ability of humans to digest the protein in the food substance.

A PDCAAS score of ‘1’ is the highest, while 0 is the lowest. It’s interesting to note that casein and whey (milk proteins), egg whites and soy proteins are the only foods that score a 1 on the scale; peanuts check in at .52 and whole wheat at .42.

As far as protein intake recommendations, you need 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, a simple number to find: divide your bodyweight by 2.2 and that’s your daily recommended protein intake. (Note that strength and performance athletes require more.)

You don’t put on one shoe—you wear the pair. You don’t buy jeans with one leg. Don’t sell yourself short when it comes to protein: give your body the complete protein it deserves!

If you have a health or fitness related question, contact me at fitgirl@ghfc.com!