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Protein Proteins supply the building material for the body and also help in the wear and tear of tissues.
Hence, they are called the “Body building foods.” Also they are important nutrients required for all living beings. In our body, many Enzymes, those are required to help in the digestion of food, and antibodies that form the defense mechanisms against infections are all protein in nature. Hence, Proteins are one of the most important nutrients that should constitute in a balanced diet. Proteins are mostly made up of essential amino acids. Therefore, the biological value i.e. the nutritional quality of the proteins is essential in a diet.
Whey protein is a collection of globular proteins and is a by-product of Cheese making from cow’s milk.
Cheese is made using either an enzyme named Rennet or acidifying milk by using lime or vinegar. On heating the milk gets curdled and when it is filtered the liquid thus acquired is Whey. This is high in Protein and contains many calories. It also has the highest biological value. Whey can be de-natured by prolonged heating. Whey protein is of 3 types: 1.
Concentrates 2. Isolates 3.Hydrolysate.Concentrates are low in fat and cholesterol but is high in bioactive compounds. Isolates are processed to remove fat and lactose so lower in bioactive compounds. Hydrolysates are pre-digested i.e. partially hydrolyzed which are easily absorbed but are expensive.
An excess amount of protein present in the urine is called as Proteinuria or Urine protein.
In this the urine becomes foamy because of presence of proteins in it. It can be checked by a simple dipstick test but a better option is to undergo Protein Electrophoresis. Proteinuria is mainly caused because of renal/kidney failure. Generally serum products are readily reabsorbed from urine but the presence of these indicates insufficient absorption or impaired filtration. With severe proteinuria, hypoproteinuria can develop which results in less oncotic pressure.
Foods containing high amounts of proteins are categorized as high protein foods.
A few examples of high protein foods are chicken, beef, fish, pork and eggs in the non-vegetarian category and beans, nuts and seeds, whole pulses, soybean, milk and milk products in the vegetarian category. All the protein foods contain essential amino acids but their distribution is good in non-vegetarian category. So, they form good quality proteins where as in proteins of plant origin they are not well distributed in their amino acids pattern. For eg: In cereals lysine is poor and in pulses methionine is poor but is good in lysine. Hence, a judicious selection of the foods can contribute to the daily requirement of the proteins. Also, proteins should be easily digestible.
Therefore the nutritive value of any proteins depends on their essential amino aid composition and its digestibility.
Many varieties of Protein Supplements are available in the market. Some of them are powders like soy powder, whey powder, proteinex, Megamas and biscuits like threptin and soymilk, tofu etc. Apart from these many more products are available in the market. One should choose according to their requirement.
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