Protein

What Is Protein?

In addition to carbohydrate and fat, protein is an essential nutrient to promote growth and enhance human health. Thousands of different proteins exist in nature, and each type has a certain combination of amino acids — some have just two or three amino acids (dipeptides, tripeptides) and others have thousands. Most living things produce hundreds of different varieties of protein, and each has a certain purpose within that species.

Why Is Protein Important?

Protein serves many purposes, including:

How Does Protein Work?

Most of the proteins that the body uses must be made "from scratch" from available free amino acids. If they're not available, as a last report the body will break down muscle and other types of tissues. This is why protein supplements are critical, especially for athletes and bodybuilders. Other benefits of protein include support for low cholesterol diets and for immune system health.

Here's how protein is created and used:

At All Star Health, we carry a wide range of high-performance protein supplements. These All-Star nutrition supplements include vegetable protein, whey protein, casein protein, pea protein and more. AllStarHealth.com is your premiere source for protein supplements from leading brands like Cytosport, Kind, Universal Nutrition, Optimum Nutrition, Ultimate Nutrition and Clif Bar.

Protein and Amino Acids

The human body requires 20 different kinds of amino acids. Some can be manufactured by the body, but the essential amino acids cannot. Those must come from one's diet, just the same as vitamins and minerals. In addition to biological value, another way to measure the value of a certain protein source is to measure the amounts and compare the range of amino acids that source contains. Complete proteins have all 20 amino acids. These complete proteins include all proteins that come from animal sources plus a few from plant sources like soy and hemp. For glutamine and arginine, those are conditionally essential, which means that they only need to be supplemented under certain circumstances. They're often seen as standalone supplements. See our amino acids department for additional information about the benefits of each of the amino acids.

Protein Supplements

Our protein powders and protein bars get their protein from various sources:

• Whey – derived from milk; most popular and most efficiently absorbed
• Egg White – high-quality source; nearly cholesterol-free
• Soy – most popular of vegetarian sources; provides isoflavones with hormone balancing and antioxidant properties
• Rice – great option for vegetarians who want to avoid soy

How Much Protein Is Needed?

Even among experts, recommendations vary. It typically depends on the individual and their goals. The amount of protein is given in grams per pound of ideal bodyweight, for a 24-hour day. Healthy non-athletes should consume about .4 grams of protein per pound. Bodybuilders and athletes who are just interested in building or maintaining muscle mass might require .8 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of actual body weight.

How to Use Protein Supplements

With so many types, protein supplements are easy to use. Shakes and protein bars, due to their convenience, are very popular. They provide the same protein as a large serving of meat with much lower cholesterol and fat (if any). There are protein dietary supplements in ready-to-drink shakes, meal replacement products (MRP) with added vitamins, weight gain products and low carb versions.

Protein Supplements – Side Effects and Cautions

The primary risk of protein supplements relates to liver or kidney disease or protein-restricted diets. There is also a caution for those who are allergic to certain types of protein such as soy. Protein supplements should not be used as your sole source of protein or nutrition.

As your doctor or nutritionist if you have questions about specific protein requirements or to find out if a protein supplement is right for your situation.