But exactly why are amino acids
so important? - What role do they play in good
health?
Read on to discover the answers to
these questions and more as we take a look at amino
acids.
Amino acids are building blocks of
protein. But why is protein so important to your
body?
Protein makes up a huge proportion
of your body weight. This proportion is only
surpassed by water. Protein is prevalent in your
hair, muscles, and all of your major organs.
The protein that we eat each day is
broken down into amino acids. The body then will
take these amino acids and construct the specific
proteins that it needs.
Amino acids are also instrumental in
helping to regulate the way the body works. This is
because enzymes and hormones that regulate body
functions, including brain functions, are made up of
protein that is derived from amino acids.
It is interesting to note that there
are only 22 amino acids. However, long chains of
these amino acids will combine to make up to 55,000
different proteins.
These proteins are then used to
produce all of the enzymes, hormones and
neurotransmitters that will allow for normal
function and growth of all organs of the body. This
includes the liver, brain, kidneys, sex organs and
heart.
Keep in mind that there are only two
types of amino acids. They are the essential amino
acids and the non-essential amino acids. So what is
the difference between these two?
The essential amino acids are not
manufactured by the body automatically. You will get
these amino acids from the food that you eat or the
dietary supplements that you take.
The non-essential amino acids are
manufactured by combining two or more of the
essential amino acids.
That is why it is very important that your body
receives an adequate amount of dietary protein so
that it can effectively form all 22 amino acids.
So what happens if you don't get
enough protein to form all 22 amino acids?
This can affect almost all parts of
your body. You could have emotional problems,
developmental problems, weight problems, lingering
infections, and the list goes on and on. In fact,
without the presence of the 22 amino acids, you will
have overall poor health.
But you may be thinking to yourself
that it is not a problem because you eat three meals
a day. But think again.
The processed food that we eat these days is sadly
lacking in adequate amounts of protein.
So if you want to stay healthy, you
need to make sure that you are getting adequate
amounts of protein so that it can be transformed
into amino acids. If you can't do this with diet
alone, it is advisable that you get a good amino
acid dietary supplement and take it every day.
