Few people think every day about what exactly to eat and how to optimally build their diet. Unfortunately, only people with serious he alth problems most often think about nutrition. Everyone knows that the diet should be protein. What is this substance?
Unsimple properties
Proteins (proteins) are giant macromolecules of life that can consist of many chains. The smallest building blocks of these majestic buildings are amino acids. As a result, it turns out that, according to the rule of emergence, whole molecules acquire very complex properties that are not reducible to the properties of amino acids. The number of functions performed by proteins in the human body is incalculable, although groups of functions are still distinguished.
And if you make a mistake?
So, protein? What is it and how does one type differ from another? Proteins differ in the number and sequence of amino acids. And one small shift - and protein molecules can no longer perform their functions. Sometimes it creeps into the genetic codemistake, and by the coding property, the amino acids are replaced with the wrong ones - serious diseases such as myasthenia gravis or sickle cell anemia occur. Protein is very important for the body. What are genetic disorders associated with its structure? These are inevitable and serious diseases at the level of the whole organism.
Mechanism of catalysis
Biological protein macromolecules are especially important for humans due to their catalytic activity. Most of the processes in our body cannot occur without this activity, because these reactions are unable to start spontaneously due to energy reasons. Why is protein important? What does he represent in relation to catalysis? You may be more familiar with the concept-synonymous "enzyme". It binds to the reaction components with active points, allowing the reaction to begin, and then safely “releases” the substance. Thus, it facilitates the start of the reaction, but is not consumed in it, like any other catalyst.
Basic movement
The structural function is very important. Proteins are found in almost pure form in the muscles. The meat that many people eat for protein is animal muscle. Although the best proteins are chopped (as in protein shakes). Meat is also quite well digested. The situation is worse with this in soy products and legumes. There is a lot of protein, but extracting it from the product turns out to be difficult for the body.
At the microscopic level
Proteins form the backbone of the cell, called the cytoskeleton, which gives shape. The participation of the protein in the transport of most substances that are not able to pass through the cell membrane on their own is also important. At the cell level, the already mentioned catalytic activity is carried out.
What are the best proteins to eat? Animals are traditionally considered important, but they can be replaced with soybeans if this plant has been sufficiently well processed beforehand. For example, soy protein shakes contain complete protein and are digested better than muscle meat. Why plant protein is better for he alth? It is not associated with a huge amount of fat and does not contribute to the production of cholesterol.
