How much do you know about protein? It is extremely important for the elderly!

Protein is one of the three most important energy nutrients for the human body besides fat and carbohydrates. 10-15% of the energy required by the human body comes from protein. In addition, it is one of the indispensable physiological basic reserves for maintaining good immunity, and it is also an essential "raw material" for cell renewal and repair...

Many people simply think that meat is protein, and rice, noodles, and whole grains are carbohydrates. It has to be said that there are many misunderstandings about protein, including that meat contains more protein than vegetables, that you need to consume enough protein at every meal, that carbohydrates promote insulin secretion but protein does not, and so on.

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Protein is a key nutrient for improving immunity . There is a saying that protein is called "an important cornerstone of human immunity" and is a key nutrient for improving immunity!

Protein is the material basis of life. All kinds of immune cells in the human body are composed of proteins. Immune molecules such as antibodies, cytokines, lysozyme and C-reactive protein are also proteins in nature. When the human body resists the invasion of harmful substances such as foreign microorganisms, the components of the immune system will be activated and consumed in large quantities. If they cannot be replenished in time, the body's anti-infection immunity and the internal regulation ability of the immune system will decline.

It is worth noting that protein comes from different sources, such as animal and plant sources. From the current dietary structure of Chinese people, more protein is obtained from meat products, and less protein is obtained from foods such as milk, aquatic products and soybeans. Zhang Zhiqiang suggested that Chinese people should pay attention to the balanced intake of animal and plant proteins. For example, soy protein is a high-quality plant protein that can be easily obtained from foods such as soy products and soy milk.

How to determine if the human body lacks protein

Protein is an important component of all cells and tissues in the human body. All important components of the body require the participation of protein. Generally speaking, protein accounts for about 18% of the total mass of the human body, and the most important thing is that it is related to life phenomena.

Due to unhealthy eating habits, some people do not get enough protein, while those who get enough protein need to improve the quality of their protein.

These 5 abnormalities in the body are warnings of protein deficiency:

1. Hair and nails become soft and easy to fall off.

2. Easy to catch cold.

3. Stress fractures are prone to occur.

4. Weight loss and muscle loss.

5. Feeling weak and tired.

Should we eat more protein? Recently, #吴京没多少糖水# has become a hot topic. Everyone thinks that we should eat more protein and eat less or even no carbohydrates. But don’t blindly follow the trend. If we ordinary people eat like this, we will suffer a great loss!

Because, there are actually 2 types of dietary protein:

Animal protein: from meat, eggs, milk, etc.

Plant protein: from grains, beans, nuts, etc.

Many people may know that soybeans contain protein, which is a high-quality protein like meat, eggs and milk, but they do not know that other grains and beans also contain protein, and the content is quite high.

Image source: Dingxiang Doctor

For example, gluten flour used to make gluten contains 75 grams of protein per 100 grams, which is nearly 5 times more than the protein content of eggs.

After being made into roasted gluten, it contains 23.5 grams of protein per 100 grams, which is only slightly less than chicken breast, and tastes just as delicious.

Moreover, according to the "Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia (2019 Edition)", the dietary protein consumed by healthy adults in a day needs to consist of two parts of protein:

30% to 50% high-quality protein

Derived from meat, eggs, milk, soy

50% to 70% non-high-quality protein

Derived from grains, beans, etc.

In other words, we have to eat both animal and plant proteins. So, don’t just think about protein. Today, let’s learn how to eat enough plant protein!

**How ​​important is protein to the elderly? **The elderly pay the most attention to health preservation, and health preservation through eating is the top priority.

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The human body needs six essential nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, water and inorganic salts (minerals).

Today, as living standards continue to improve, we are always reminded to control our fat intake and not have too many carbohydrates. However, if we want to eat healthily, we must eat enough protein.

As one of the six major nutrients, we can already see the importance of protein.

Protein is an important component of all cells and tissues of the human body. All important components of the body require the participation of protein. Under normal circumstances, protein can account for 16% to 20% of the total mass of the human body.

During the aging process of the human body, protein metabolism is mainly catabolism, the anabolism rate gradually slows down, and the protein in the body is gradually consumed.

As people age, the protein content in the body tends to gradually decrease. Unless they consciously maintain a high level through exercise, diet, etc., the protein content in the body of an average elderly person is only about 60% to 70% of that in their youth.

Amino acids are the basic units that make up proteins. Studies have shown that, under the same nutritional conditions, the elderly have a more significant decrease in branched-chain amino acids than young and middle-aged people, which directly affects the body's muscle mass.

Although the protein content in the body of the elderly decreases, the body's demand for protein has not decreased. On the contrary, because the body's utilization of protein decreases, and the gastrointestinal function of the elderly decreases, the intake of food types decreases, and protein needs to be adjusted or supplemented. Otherwise, malnutrition caused by protein deficiency is likely to occur.

In the nutrition department, nutritionists often determine whether a person's protein nutritional status is reasonable through dietary review, body composition examination, biochemical indicators, etc.

Source: Chongqing Tianji Network Co., Ltd.

Source: 39 Health Network, Chongqing Health Science, Health Times

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