| You need protein for the repair and growth of | | | | one or other of the essential amino acids, but |
| the body. Protein is composed of chains of amino | | | | eggs, milk, meat and fish contain all the amino |
| acids. There are only twenty common amino | | | | acids in the correct proportions. However if you |
| acids but they are combined in nature in an infinite | | | | mix grains, seeds, pulses, nuts and legumes so |
| number of ways so that proteins differ in | | | | that your diet is not consisting of a single type of |
| structure and in their enzymatic qualities. | | | | vegetable protein, then the biological value of the |
| In the old days scientists spoke of first and | | | | mixture is excellent. |
| second class proteins. Today we know that out | | | | Indeed such a diet is good because if does not |
| of the twenty amino acids, eight are essential in | | | | contain the saturated fat commonly present in |
| that the adult cannot make them in the body, and | | | | meat.The body does not need a great deal of |
| the rest are called nonessential because they can | | | | protein, provided this supplies the essential amino |
| be made from the essential ones. | | | | acids in the right mixture. The unwanted amino |
| One more amino acid, histidine, is needed for | | | | acids are converted into heat and energy and not |
| growing infants, and so is essential to begin with, | | | | materials for the growth and repair of the cells. |
| but not later on. It is a mistake to think of the | | | | Only recently did the World Health Organization |
| non-essential amino acids as being without value, | | | | realize that vast sums were being spent on giving |
| for they too are found in the cells of our bodies; | | | | too much protein to the starving and |
| it is only that we can do without them if we have | | | | under-privileged millions, when all the poor were |
| to. The essential amino acids are: isoleucine, | | | | doing was to convert the excess protein to |
| leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, | | | | much-needed energy. When energy providing |
| tryptophan and valine. | | | | foods are given instead the protein levels usually |
| Most vegetable sources of protein are lacking in | | | | do not need supplementation. |