Protein

Key points

Pro t e i n i s e s s e n t i a l fo r g row t h a n d re p a i r o f t h e b o d y a n d
maintenance of good health.
Pro t e i n a l s o p rov i d e s e ne rg y ; 1 g ra m p rov i d e s 17 k J ( 4 kc a l ) .
T h e R efe re n c e N u t r i e n t I n t a ke ( R N I ) i s s et a t 0 . 75 g of p rot e i n p e r
k il ogra m b od y we i g h t p er d a y fo r a du lts.
T h e a m o u n t o f p ro t e i n we n e e d c h a n g e s d u r i ng a l i fet i me .
D i f fe re n t fo o d s c o n t a i n d i f fe re n t a m o u n t s a n d d i f fe re n t
c o m b i n a t i o n s o f a m i n o a c i d s ( t h e b u i l d i n g b l o c ks o f p ro t e i n s ) .
P r o t e i n f r o m a n i m a l s o u r c e s ( e .g . m e a t , � s h , e g g s a n d d a i r y
p ro d u c t s ) c o n t a i n s t h e fu l l ra n g e o f e s s e nt i a l a mi n o a c i d s n e e d e d
b y t h e b o d y. H o w e v e r , v e g a n s a n d v e g e t a r i a n s c a n g e t a l l t h e
a mi n o a ci d s t h ey n e e d by c o m b i n i ng d ifferent p la nt s o u rce s of
p r o t e i n , e .g . p u l s e s a n d c e r e a l s .

I m p o r t a n c e of p rot e i n

Proteins are fundamental structural and functional elements within every cell
of the body and are involved in a wide range of metabolic interactions. All
cells and tissues contain protein, therefore protein is essential for growth and
repair and the maintenance of good health. Protein provides the body with
approximately 10 to 15% of its dietary energy and it is the second most
abundant compound in the body, following water. A large proportion of this
will be muscle (43% on average) with signi�cant proportions being present in
skin (15%) and blood (16%).

Amino acids

Proteins are large molecules made up of long chains of amino acids. Amino
acids are the building blocks of proteins. The biochemical activity of proteins is
characterised by their individual structure, size and shape. These factors are
determined by the sequence and characteristics of the constituent amino
acids.

There are about 20 different amino acids commonly found in plant and animal
proteins. For adults, 8 of these, have to be provided in the diet and are
therefore de�ned as ‘essential’ or ‘indispensable’ amino acids. These are:
 Leucine
Isoleucine
Valine
Threonine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Tryptophan
Lysine.

In children, arginine, histidine, cysteine, glycine, tyrosine, glutamine and

proline are also considered to be essential (indispensable) amino acids,
because children are unable to make enough to meet their needs. These are
referred to as ‘conditionally’ essential. There may also be certain disease
states during adult life when a particular amino acid becomes conditionally
essential.

The other amino acids do not have to be provided by the diet. This is because
the amino group of these amino acids can be transferred to another amino
acid with a different amino group by a process called transamination. In this
way the body is able to make some amino acids itself. These are known as
‘non-essential’ or ‘dispensable’ amino acids.

H ow m u c h p ro t e i n s h o ul d we e a t ?

The Dietary Reference Values for protein are based on estimates of need. For
adults, an average requirement of 0.6g of protein per kilogram bodyweight
per day is estimated. The Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) is set at 0.75g of
protein per kilogram bodyweight per day in adults. This equates to
approximately 56g/day and 45g/day for men and women aged 19-50 years
respectively. There is an extra requirement for growth in infants and children
and for pregnant and breast feeding women.

Any excess protein can be used to provide energy. 1g of protein provides 17kJ
(4 kcal) but carbohydrate, and to a lesser extent fat, should be the main
sources of dietary energy. At present, protein provides around 16% of energy
on average in the British diet.

Cu r re n t p ro t e i n i n t a ke s

The average daily intake of protein in the UK is 88g for men and 64g for
women, which is more than suf�cient: it exceeds the Dietary Reference Values
for protein. Foods vary in the amount of protein they provide but the main
sources include meat, �sh, eggs, milk, cheese, cereals and cereal products (e.g.
bread), nuts and pulses (beans and lentils). The most common sources of
protein in the British diet are shown in �gure 1.

T h e n a t u re o f p ro t e i n i n t h e d i et

Most foods contain either animal or plant cells and will therefore naturally
contain protein. But the processing of foods may change the amounts and
relative proportions of some amino acids; for example the Maillard reaction
and the associated browning that occurs when foods are baked reduces the
available lysine. The quality of the protein is also important and depends on
the amino acids that are present. Proteins from animal sources have a higher
biological value than proteins from plant sources. This is because the pattern
of amino acids in animal cells is comparable to the pattern in human cells.
Plant foods may have very different patterns of amino acids compared to
animal proteins, and, in the past, this difference has lead to a concept of �rst-
class and second-class proteins, for animal and plant foods respectively.
However, diets are typically varied in the UK and rarely made up of single
foods. A combination of plant proteins tends to have a complementary effect
boosting their overall biological value.

Co m p l e m e n t a r y a c t i o n of p ro t e i n s ( p l a n t p ro t e i n)

In most diets, different proteins tend to complement each other in their amino
acid pattern, so when two foods providing vegetable protein are eaten at a
meal, such as a cereal (e.g. bread) and pulses (e.g. baked beans), the amino
acids of one protein may compensate for the limitations of the other, resulting
in a combination of higher biological value. This is known as the
complementary action of proteins. Thus if vegetarians and vegans eat a
variety of vegetable proteins in combination, there is no reason why the
quality of protein cannot be as good as in a diet comprising meat, milk, �sh,
eggs or other foods that contain animal protein. Good sources of plant protein
include nuts, seeds, pulses, mycoprotein and soya products. There are also
small amounts in grains.

In the UK, most people's diets contain plenty of protein and provide more than
enough of the indispensable amino acids. However, in some countries where
protein intakes are low, the complementary action of proteins plays an
important role in helping individuals meet their nutritional requirements. For
example, the tradition of combining lentils with rice in cuisines from the Indian
sub continent.

A n ima l p ro t e i n

Protein from animal sources contains the full range of essential amino acids
required from an adult’s diet. Sources include meat, �sh, eggs, milk and
cheese. For most of us, low fat options of these foods are preferable as some
can be high in saturated fat.

G o o d s o u rc e s o f p ro t e i n

Ta b l e 1 : Pro t e i n c o n t e n t o f s o m e c o m m o n f o o d s f o u n d i n t h e d i e t

Fo o d t y p e Pro t e i n c o n t e n t (g ) p e r 1 0 0 g

Meat protein
 Meat Chicken breast (grilled without skin)32.0
Beef steak (lean grilled) 31.0
Lamb chop (lean grilled) 29.2
Pork chop (lean grilled) 31.6
Fish Tuna (canned in brine) 23.5
Mackerel (grilled) 20.8
Salmon (grilled) 24.2
Cod (grilled) 20.8
SeafoodPrawns 22.6
Mussels 16.7
Crabsticks 10.0
Eggs Chicken eggs 12.5
Dairy Whole milk 3.3
Semi-skimmed milk 3.4
Skimmed milk 3.4
Cheddar cheese 25.4
Half-fat cheddar 32.7
Cottage cheese 12.6
Whole milk yogurt 5.7
Low fat yogurt (plain) 4.8

Plant protein

Pulses Red lentils 7.6

Chickpeas 8.4
Beans Kidney beans 6.9
Baked beans 5.2
Tofu (soya bean steamed) 8.1
Grains Wheat �our (brown) 12.6
Bread (brown) 7.9
Bread (white) 7.9
Rice (easy cook boiled) 2.6
Oatmeal 11.2
Pasta (fresh cooked) 6.6
Nuts Almonds 21.1
Walnuts 14.7
Hazelnuts 14.1

Adults and children should consume two to three servings of protein every
day. If plant sources dominate, it is important to make sure that different
types are consumed.

One typical portion size equates to:

• 100g of lean boneless meat (red and poultry)

• 140g of �sh
• 2 medium eggs
• 3 tablespoons of seeds or nuts.
It is important to choose lower fat protein-rich foods, such as lean meats or
reduced fat dairy products as some high protein foods can also be high in
saturated fat. This will help minimise the risk of developing cardiovascular
disease.

Pro t e i n a n d we i g h t m a n a g e m e n t

Protein-rich foods tend to make people feel fuller than foods rich in
carbohydrates or fat. So including a lean source of protein with a meal can
help to minimise feelings of hunger and decrease overall energy intake.

Some studies have shown protein-rich diets with a low carbohydrate content
to be associated with slightly greater initial weight loss compared with widely
recommended low fat eating programmes. However, no differences have
generally been reported when comparisons have been made over a longer
duration (e.g. after 12 months). Long-term studies are needed to compare the
effects of protein-rich, low carbohydrate diets versus low fat diets on
nutritional status and body composition and to assess their effects on disease
risk and nutritional status.

Some popular high protein, low carbohydrate diets claim to be effective at

producing weight loss despite a high fat intake from fatty meats and full fat
dairy products. Such a diet remains contradictory to current healthy eating
messages. Regardless of the composition of the diet, weight loss will only
occur if a de�cit in energy intake compared to output through activity is
created to achieve a negative energy balance. There are also safety concerns
about very-high-protein diets that involved cutting out other food groups and
caution should therefore be exercised in promoting them.

When reducing energy intake in order to lose weight, it will be necessary to

reduce intake of some foods but it is a good idea to maintain intake of low-fat,
protein rich foods. In the context of a lower energy intake, this will result in a
relatively high proportion of energy coming from protein in the diet, but will
not represent an increase in the absolute amount of protein consumed or
require the other food groups to be cut out of the diet.

For more information on the sources used in this text, please

contact [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Page created October 2012