Protein

Chapter 3

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 Protein

• A component of every living cell

• Accounts for 20% of adult weight

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• Amino acids
– Basic building blocks of protein
– Composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
atoms
– 20 common amino acids
o 9 are considered essential because the body cannot
make them—indispensable; they must be consumed
through food
o 11 are considered nonessential because they can be
made by the body—dispensable‫غير اساسي‬

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 Essential Amino Acids

• 1-Histidine • 4-Methionine

• 5-Phenylalanine
• 2-Isoleucine
• 6-Threonine
• 3-Leucine
• 7-Tryptophan

• 4-Lysine • 8-Valine

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 Nonessential Amino Acids

• Alanine • Glutamic acid

• Arginine • Glutamine

• Asparagine • Glycine

• Proline
• Aspartic acid
• Serine
• Cystine (cysteine)
• Tyrosine
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• Protein structure

– Most contain several dozen to several

hundred amino acids

– Shape determines function

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• Functions of protein
– Major structural and functional component of
every living cell
– Body structure and framework
– Enzymes
– Other body secretions and fluids(breast
milk,mucus,sperm)
– Acid–base balance
– Transport molecules
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– Other compounds(clotting, visual pigment)

– Some amino acids have specific functions

within the body(precurser of vitamens)

– Fueling the body 1g=4kcalory

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 Question
• Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
They are classed as either essential or
nonessential. Which of these is an essential
amino acid?
a. Glycine
b. Aspartic acid
c. Tyrosine
d. Leucine

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 Answer

d. Leucine

Rationale: There are 20 common amino acids,

9 of which are classified as essential or
indispensable because the body cannot make
them. They must be supplied through the diet.
These essential amino acids include histidine,
leucine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan.

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 Protein (cont’d)

• How the body handles protein

– Digestion
o Begins in the stomach
o Hydrochloric acid converts pepsinogen to the active
enzyme pepsin
o Small intestine is the principal site of protein
digestion
o Enzymes located on the surface of the cells that line
the small intestine complete the digestion

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• How the body handles protein (cont’d)
– Absorption
o Amino acids, and sometimes a few dipeptides or
larger peptides, are absorbed through the mucosa
of the small intestine
– Metabolism
o Liver acts as a clearinghouse
 Retains amino acids to make liver cells,
nonessential amino acids, and plasma proteins
such as heparin, prothrombin, and albumin
 Regulates the release of amino acids into the
bloodstream
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– Liver acts as a clearinghouse (cont’d)
o Removes the nitrogen from amino acids
o Converts protein to fatty acids which form
triglycerides for storage in adipose tissue
o Forms urea from the nitrogenous wastes
of protein

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• Protein synthesis
– Complicated but efficient process that quickly
assembles amino acids into proteins the body
needs
– Part of what makes every individual unique is the
differences in body proteins
o Protein turnover

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 Important Concepts

Protein turnover

• Continuous process
• Body proteins vary in
their rate of turnover
• RBC:60-90 DAYS

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• Nitrogen balance
– Reflects the state of balance between protein
breakdown and protein synthesis
– Determined by comparing the amount of
nitrogen consumed (intake) with the amount
of nitrogen excreted (output)
– Healthy adults are in neutral nitrogen balance

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• Nitrogen balance (cont’d)
– Positive nitrogen balance: when protein
synthesis exceeds protein breakdown
– Negative nitrogen balance: an undesirable
state that occurs when protein breakdown
exceeds protein synthesis

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• Protein catabolism for energy
– Loss of 30% of body protein causes:
o Impaired breathing
o Altered immune function
o Altered organ function
o Ultimately death

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 Question

• Is the following statement true or false?

Healthy adults are in a positive state of nitrogen

balance.

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 Answer

False.

Rationale: A neutral nitrogen balance, or state

of equilibrium, exists when nitrogen intake
equals nitrogen excretion, indicating protein
synthesis is occurring at the same rate as
protein breakdown. Healthy adults are in neutral
nitrogen balance.

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 Sources of Protein

• Protein quality

– Differs based on content of essential

amino acids

– Quality can become a crucial concern

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 Sources of Protein
• Complete and incomplete proteins
– Complete proteins
o High biologic value
o Provide adequate amounts and proportions of
all essential amino acids needed for protein
synthesis necessary to support tissue growth
and repair
o Animal proteins and soy protein are complete
proteins
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– Incomplete proteins
o Lack adequate amounts of one or more essential
amino acids
o Except for soy protein ‫ب روتينص ويا‬, all plants are
sources of incomplete proteins
– Complementary proteins‫ا لبروتينا لمك ّمل‬
o 2 proteins that when combined provide adequate
amounts and proportions of all essential amino
acids needed to support protein synthesis

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Examples of Complementary Plant Proteins
• Black beans and rice
• Lentil and rice
• Falafel sandwich (ground chickpeas on)
• Peanut butter sandwich
• (pasta with white beans)

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 Dietary Reference Intakes

• RDAs
– For healthy adults is 0.8 g/kg
– Acceptable macronutrient distribution range for
protein for adults is 10% to 35% of total
calories
• When the RDA does not apply
– Intended for healthy people only

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• Protein deficiency
– Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM)
o Kwashiorkor
 Results mainly from acute critical illnesses
 Aggressive nutritional support is used to
restore metabolic balance as quickly as
possible
o Marasmus
 Occurs secondary to chronic diseases
 Nutritional therapy is started slowly and
advanced gradually
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• Protein excess
– No proven risks from eating an excess of
protein
– Conflicting data as to whether high-protein
diets increase the risk of:
o Osteoporosis
o Renal stones

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 Question
• Sometimes the recommended daily allowances
(RDAs) do not apply to a diet. Why is this true?
a. Not everyone conforms to what is considered
“normal”.
b. When a body is in protein excess, the RDAs do
not need to be adhered to.
c. The RDAs are intended for healthy people only.
d. The RDAs were designed to help sick people get
well.

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 Answer

c. The RDAs are intended for healthy people only.

Rationale: The RDAs are intended for healthy

people only.

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 Protein in Health Promotion

• Not addressed in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

• Vegetarian diets
– Pure vegetarians or vegans
o Eat no animal products
o Eat only plants
o They form the smallest group of vegetarians

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• Vegetarian diets (cont’d)
– Most American vegetarians are:
o Lacto-vegetarians whose diets include milk products
o Lacto-ovo vegetarians, whose diets include milk
products and eggs
• Nutrients of concern
– Most vegetarian diets meet or exceed the RDA for
protein and are nutritionally adequate across the life
cycle
– Iron, zinc, calcium, vitamin D, and alpha-linolenic acid
are nutrients of concern
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 Protein in Health Promotion (cont’d)

• Is vegetarianism for everyone?

– A personal choice, subject to personal

interpretation

– Proper planning means paying close

attention to the nutrients of concern and
using a vegetarian food guide for planning

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Copyright © 2010 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins