• Which protein nourishes the body best?
• Protein – which products contain the most of it

Protein is one of the key nutrients that must be present in your daily diet. Its role in the body is particularly important, as it is necessary for building and strengthening tissues, but it is also responsible for regulating the functioning of many key processes throughout the body. Which protein should you choose to make your daily diet complete and nutritious?

Which protein nourishes the body best?

Proteins are the main building blocks of most organisms (muscles, nerve connections, connective tissue) and at the same time are necessary as a component of important transformations and processes in the circulatory, immune and hormonal systems.

Which protein is best for effectively nourishing the body? It all depends on its structure. Proteins consist of individual amino acids, which are divided into two groups:

• exogenous amino acids - necessary for the proper functioning of the body, but can only be obtained through food, such as: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine;
• endogenous amino acids - which can be synthesized in the body in an amount that covers the total requirement (alanine, asparagine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid, serine) or not (glutamine, cysteine, arginine, glycine, proline, tyrosine).

By analyzing the amount and type of amino acids present in a particular protein (the proportion in which they occur), its biological value can be determined. The higher the value, the less protein needs to be consumed to supply the body with the necessary nutrients.

Based on biological value, proteins are classified as complete (containing the correct amount of all essential amino acids for the body) or incomplete (containing incomplete amino acids).

Protein – which products contain the most of it

Proteins are crucial in everyone's diet. Protein should be a key component of meals, especially for physically active people and athletes. Which products contain the most valuable proteins?

Products of animal origin such as eggs, meat, milk, and dairy products are considered rich in digestible proteins. They have, on average (compared to plant products), a high biological value and are easier to digest because they contain no fiber.

However, it has been shown that pulses (especially soybeans), as well as potatoes, rice, and rye, are in no way inferior to these products in terms of biological value. It is important, however, to note that the biological value of a meal can be increased by combining different products, thereby complementing the ingredients.

The distribution of amino acids throughout the day can be controlled by using products such as:

• Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, beans, peas),
• Whole grain products (especially oats, millet, wheat, spelt and rye),
• Nuts (peanuts, pistachios, cashews - which contain the most protein),
• Seeds (such as sesame, pumpkin or sunflower).

If we're concerned that our meals don't contain a sufficiently diverse combination of amino acids, we can also enrich our menu with protein powder . Depending on your needs and nutritional profile, you can focus on proteins from whey or plant-based products that are also rich in fiber and unsaturated fatty acids, such as hemp protein, sunflower protein, pumpkin, pea protein, broad bean protein, and rice protein. Protein powder can be used as an ingredient in a cocktail or as an additive to oatmeal, salads, and even in baking.