Dietary Science to Add to Your Happiness : Learn about proteins and amino acids

Our bodies are made up of the food we eat. To ensure that your body receives the nutrients it needs, it is helpful to have knowledge about foods and nutrients so that you can enjoy your meals while treating your body with care.

The nutrients our bodies need are said to be protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Among them, protein is said to account for 30% of the human body and is composed of 20 amino acids.

Of the 20 types of amino acids, 9 cannot be synthesized in the body and are therefore considered essential amino acids. Essential amino acids must be obtained from the diet.

These 20 amino acids come together in various combinations to make up internal organs, skin, hair, and some other parts of the body. Collagen, known for keeping skin firm and elastic, is also a type of protein and is a collection of amino acids.

Collagen is said to account for 30% of all proteins. Even if you eat a large amount of collagen, it will be broken down into amino acids during digestion and absorption, so it is not known whether the body will synthesize collagen again afterwards. It seems to make sense to consume collagen.

Collagen, which has a molecular weight of about 300,000, cannot penetrate into the skin in its original form even if it is applied on the skin. It is said that collagen needs to have a molecular weight of several hundred in order to penetrate the skin.

As an essential nutrient, protein is also used as energy; each gram of protein can produce 4 kilocalories of energy.

Protein is also associated with sleep. Before bedtime, the pineal gland in the brain secretes melatonin, known as the sleep hormone, which is made from a neurotransmitter called serotonin.

The material for melatonin is a neurotransmitter called serotonin. Since the material for serotonin is a protein called tryptophan, protein is necessary for the secretion of melatonin. Therefore, a lack of protein is likely to affect sleep.

Thus, protein plays an important role in maintaining a healthy body, and protein with high amino acid score, including essential amino acids, seems to be a useful nutrient for the body.

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