Proteins are macromolecules and are made from branches of amino acids. There are more than 10,000 types of proteins in the body. Surprisingly if you take away all the water in your body 75% of the rest is protein. Protein can be found in tissues, muscles, hair, and the bones. Lots of foods contain protein but some of the best sources are black beans, beef, seeds, poultry, and nuts, dairy like cheese and milk, and eggs. Proteins help build and protect tissues in the body. The muscles, organs, and immune system are all mostly made up of proteins. The body uses the protein eaten to produce protein molecules that each has a special job. An example would be when proteins make hemoglobin, which is the part of the red blood cell that takes oxygen to parts all over the body. Others are used to build cardiac muscle, which is the material that the heart is made up of. When you exercise proteins make sure that your lungs, legs, and arms are okay and that there are no diseases getting into the body. When foods that contain proteins are eaten digestive juices in the stomach and small intestine work to break down the protein in the food into amino acids. Amino acids can be recycled and used again to make new proteins to help the body build muscles, strong bones, blood, and organs. There are twenty-two amino acids and the body can make thirteen of them all by itself. The other nine acids come from eating foods that contain lots of protein. These acids are very important because they come from the foods eaten. Proteins that come from animals like meat and eggs are called complete proteins because there are all nine amino acids in them. Lots of vegetables are incomplete because they don't have all the amino acids and are missing one or two. For people who don't eat meat this can be a problem but vegetarians can get their share of proteins by eating vegetables that have a high protein level. To figure out how much protein you need a day you need to know how much you weigh. Kids need to eat 0.5 grams of protein for every pound they weigh a day. As you and your body gets bigger your proteins need will grow larger as well but once you reach adult stage the protein needs will stay the same. As an adult you need at least 60 grams of protein a day. To find many grams of protein you need to eat a day divide your weight in half. You can tell how much protein is in a type of food by looking at the food label where it says proteins and a percentage per serving. Some easy foods to eat to get the right amount of protein in each day are 1 tablespoon of peanut butter has about 4 grams of protein, and a 1.5oz chicken breast has about 10 &1/2 grams of protein. Proteins are an essential nutrient needed to make sure the body stays healthy and strong. The next time you eat a chocolate brownie for a snack try eating some cheese or some peanut butter instead to make sure there is enough protein in your body to make sure your bones, muscles, and joints all stay healthy. Eat the right amount of protein each day and exercise daily to keep the body healthy and unharmed.
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