PROTEIN – it is a basic material of body cell.

- Can be found in both animals and plants

- It is the only nutrient grp that contains nitrogen
- Essential for growth and development
- - can uniquely make new cells and rebuild tissues
- Most proteins contain saturated fats and cholesterol
- The enzymes are a class of proteins that are essential for
all kinds of reactions that occur in your body, from
digestion of food to the replication of DNA.
- Other kinds of proteins include Antibodies, w/c help your
immune system fight off infections and hormones also,
w/c send messages throughout your body.
- Proteins contains carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur and
nitrogen (essential to life)
- Proteins are composed of amino acids
- Amino Acids – are nitrogen-containing compounds
a. Essential amino acids – the body can’t make it or it can’t be
synthesized, so it must be provided by the diet. They are
necessary for normal growth and dev’t.
- Accdg to Roth, there are 20 amino acids, but only 10 are
considered essentials to humans.
Arginine (during childhood only) Methionine
Histidine (during childhood only) Phenylalanine
Isoleucine Threonine
Leucine Tryptophan
Lysine Valine

b. Nonessential- the body can synthesize them or can produce

them from the essential AA, vits and mineral that foods
provide.
 Alanine Glutamine Tyrosine
Arginine Glycine
Asparagine Histidine
Aspartic acid Proline
Cysteine Serine

c. Conditionally essential – Sometimes a nonessential amino

acids become essential under special circumstances.
For ex. The body normally uses the essential amino acid
phenylalanine to make tyrosine ( a nonessential AA).
And if the body fails to supply the needed phenylalanine and if
the body cannot make any conversion due to the absence of
the enzyme phenylalanine hydroylase just like in the case of
genetic/inborn metabolic disorder/amino acid disorder, the
PKU, then the tyrosine becomes conditionally essential AA ,
so, tyrosine should be obtain from the diet. bec tyrosine help
in the synthesis of neurotransmitter and a precursor of
melanine also.

Classification
1. Complete proteins – they provide all the essential amino acids
in sufficient amount to meet the body’s needs. And they are
of high biologic value/high quality.
- They are extremely bioavailable(nutrients can be absorbed
and use by the body)
- Meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and cheese.
2. Incomplete Proteins – Plant protein foods, except soya, are
“Incomplete Proteins”
- If a combination of plant proteins is eaten together(e.g.
beans and rice or lentil soup w/ bread) then the essential
 amino acids, w/c are limited in one, are provided by the
other.
- Cannot build tissue w/o help of other proteins
- Don’t contain all of the essential AA.
- corn, grain, nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and legumes.

OR Complementary Proteins- Occur when a combination of

incomplete proteins are eaten In the same day to make a
complete protein, bec one incomplete protein food can
provide essential amino acids the other lacks, so it shld be in
combination to provide all essential AA.
- Ex. Corn and beans, rice and beans, bread and peanut
butter, bread and split pea soup, bread and cheese, bread
and baked beans, macaroni and cheese, cereal and milk.

Food Combinations that provide Complete proteins

Grains + Legumes
● Peanut butter sandwich
● Rice and beans / baked beans w/ bread
● Split pea soup w/ croutons
● Falafel (chicken pea balls) on pita bread
● Lentil soup w/ rye bread

Grains / legumes + Animal proteins (small amounts)

● Chile w/ beans and cornbread
● Ready to eat cereal w/ skim milk
● Cheese sandwich or pasta w/ cheese
● Rice pudding
● Pancakes(made w/ milk and or eggs)
FOOD SOURCES:
1. Animal sources- (excellent sources) the complete proteins –
meats includes lamb, beef, pork, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and
cheese

2. Plant sources – Incomplete proteins – corn, grain, nuts,

sunflower seed, sesame seeds and legumes. And powdered
protein supplements such as anchovies or dilis powder, monggo
powder, hipon alamang powder, these may be added to soups,
omelet or dishes.

3. Analogues – meat alternatives made from soy protein and other

ingredients to simulate various kinds of meat. They are excellent
sources of CHON, Fe and Vit B.
TOFU – is a soft, cheeselike food made from soy milk.
- Helpful to strict vegetarians to meet their protein needs.
- It is rich in high quality proteins and B vits and it is low in
NA.
- Soy protein and tofu are both economical and nutritious
meat replacement.

❖ Cheaper Sources of Quality proteins includes tiny fish w/

bones, small shrimps, lean “carabeef”, tripe and intestines,
small crab and mussel, and legumes as well.

NUTRITIONAL ROLES IN THE BODY

-Protein provides the materials for building the matrix of virtually
all parts of body tissues in children, protein is essential for growth
and development while adults need them for the repair of
worn-out tissues.
 - Specifically, Protein is needed for-
1. Building and repairing body tissues
The COLLAGEN is a protein from w/c connective tissue such as
scar (wherein it knits the separated parts or from torn tissues
together), tendons, ligaments and the foundation of bones
and teeth are made.

2. Building Antibodies – proteins from the immune system

molecules that fight diseases.

3. Regulating body Functions

As Enzymes- some proteins act as enzymes. Participates in

digestive enzymes

As Hormones – The body’s many hormones are messenger

molecules, and some hormones are proteins
The hormone insulin provide a familiar example.
Wherein, when blood glucose rises, the pancreas releases its
insulin. Insulin then stimulates the transport proteins of the
muscles and adipose tissue to pump glucose into the cells
faster. Then as blood glucose falls, the pancreas slows its
release of insulin.

As transport Component
- Albumin is a major protein in plasma that helps to
transport free fatty acids and binds w/ certain medications
in the body
 - Hemoglobin is protein that has oxygen- carrying capacity
- Ferritin and transferring are protein carriers that are
connected w/ iron storage and transfer in the body.
- Myoglobin is a protein carrier found in muscle cells
- Lipoproteins (protein+fat) help to carry cholesterol and fat
soluble vitamins in the body.

4. Regulators of Fluid balance

- Proteins help to maintain the body’s fluid balance
- The body’s fluids are contained inside the cells
(Intracellular) or outside the cells (Extracellular). These
extracellular fluids can now be found either in the spaces
between the cells (Interstitial) or w/ in the blood vessels
(Intravascular)
- The fluid w/in the intravascular spaces are called PLASMA
5. Providing Energy – Proteins provide fuel for the body’s energy
needs when carbohydrate and fat are insufficiently
consumed. They supply 4 kcal per gram of protein

NITROGEN BALANCE- intake equals nitrogen excreted

POSITIVE NITROGEN BALANCE – exists when nitrogen intake
exceeds amount excreted
- This indicates that new tissue is being formed and it occurs
during Pregnancy, Children growing years and when
athletes develops additional muscle tissue(weight
lifting),and when tissue are rebuilt after physical trauma
such as illness/injury/surgery

NEGATIVE NITROGEN BALANCE – exist when more nitrogen is

lost than taken in.
 - protein is being lost caused by fever, injury, surgery, burns,
starvation,stress – so during these times the body losses
nitrogen as it breaks down muscle and other body proteins
for energy.

PROTEIN IN EXCESS:
- Heart disease
- Colon Cancer
- Kidney disease
- Osteoporosis
- Obesity

PROTEIN DEFICIENCY: Symptoms

- Muscle wasting occurs
- Albumin ( protein in bld plasma) deficiency causes edema
- Loss of appetite, strength and weight
- Lethargy, depression and slow wound healing

PROTEIN DEFICIENCY DISEASES

PEM(Protein-Energy malnutrition)
- People suffering from PEM lack both protein and energy
–rich foods
- Two deficiency diseases that affect children are caused by
a grossly inadequate supply of protein or energy or both.
 MARASMUS – condition resulting from severe
malnutrition/severe deprivation/poor absorption of
nutrients
- Common in infants (less than 2 years)
- Develops slowly
- Infant w/ marasmus appears emaciated, but don’t have
edema
- Severe weight loss w/ gross loss of muscles
- Almost no subcutaneous fat and no edema
- No fatty liver
- Appetite may be normal or poor
- Hair is sparse, thin and dry, easily pulled
- Skin- dry,thin and wrinkled

KWASHIORKOR – cause by insufficient protein intake

- appears when there is sudden or recent lack of
protein-containing food (such during famine).
- Common in older children (1-3 years)
- Rapid onset : Acute PEM
- Causes fat to accumulate in the liver,
- and the lack of protein and hormones results in edema,
- painful skin lesions and skin rash
- and changes in the pigmentation of skin
- hair is dull and dry and discolored hair
- some weight loss
- some muscle wasting
- Apathy, misery, irritability and sadness
- Loss of appetite
-
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:
 - Determine by size, age, sex and physical and emotional
conditions
- The NRCNAS considers the average adult’s daily reqmt. To
be 0.8gm of CHON for each Kg of body weight.
- To determine your reqmt. – divide body wt. by 2.2 then
multiply the answer by 0.8.

NRCNAS – National Research Council of the National Academy of

Sciences.