Health Hotline Magazine | February 2025

4 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PROTEIN By Lindsay Wilson

Protein has entered e chat. Have you noticed? As of this writing, there are nearly 30 million #protein posts on Instagram. Walk the aisles of a grocery store and you’ll find everything from high-protein water to high-protein candy; it seems like everyone is looking for ways to increase their daily intake (#proteingoals). Some say the popularity of protein has grown out of the low carb movement, in which protein and healthy fats are centered instead of carbohydrates. Others say protein has moved to the forefront with an increase in public interest in losing weight while building muscle. Or maybe it’s a generation of Gen Xers and Millennials entering perimenopause, where we’ve learned that protein is king for maintaining good health as we age. There are a multitude of reasons why this macronutrient has grown to be the holy grail of nutrition; here are four things to know about this champion of health.

It goes far beyond building muscle.

1.

There is a huge focus on hitting daily protein goals to build and maintain muscle mass, and protein is absolutely critical for this, but did you know that protein also provides the building blocks for our bodies to make neurotransmitters, hormones, and enzymes, and is required to build and repair tissue, for proper immune function and metabolic health, and for cellular growth and repair? When we eat protein, our bodies break it down into individual amino acids and then reconfigures them into di erent proteins that can be used in diverse ways throughout the body. Protein is not stored by the body, and if we don’t eat enough, the body will

start breaking down muscle to get the protein it needs for other important functions. Symptoms of protein deficiency can include brittle

hair and nails and dry, flaky skin, constant hunger (protein keeps us satiated and supports healthy blood sugar), mood issues and/ or brain fog, weak muscles and loss of muscle mass, frequent bouts of illness, and even stress fractures (bone tissue requires protein too!).

Prioritize complete proteins. In simple terms, a protein is a molecule that is made up of amino acids. There are 20 di erent amino acids the human body needs and each one has its own function. Some of these amino acids are considered “non-essential,” which means our bodies can make them so we don’t have to prioritize consuming them. Some are classified as “conditionally essential,” which means our bodies can make them, but at a limited rate; in times of stress, illness, or injury, our bodies may need more than they can 2.

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