There are nutrients your body needs to stay healthy.
You need air…
Water…
And carbs, fats, and proteins.
But when it comes to “essential’ and “nonessential” nutrients, most people get confused.
So what makes something essential and nonessential?
To put it in simple terms:
Nonessential nutrients are nutrients that your body can produce on its own—so it’s not necessary to obtain them from your diet.
And essential nutrients are nutrients that your body CAN’T produce, so you need to get these from your diet.
There are lots of essential and nonessential nutrients you have probably heard of. Essentials fats—which are a type of healthy fat obtained from your diet that may add health improvements.
But there is one other nutrient, besides fat, that can also be essential or nonessential.
And that is protein.
It’s true that your body can make certain amino acids (the building blocks of protein), but there are some that you need to get from your diet.
And out of the 20 amino acids your body needs to stay healthy, build muscle, make hormones and enzymes, and help you lose weight, 9 of them you need to get from your diet.
It is extremely important for your body that you maintain a healthy protein intake by including meat or plant-based protein sources.
Even though protein is marketed as a weight loss miracle, the function of protein is so much more than just a weight loss tool.
It’s a necessary nutrient to maintain your health and wellness.
And it’s important so you can make sure all the systems in your body are functioning at optimal levels.
The take home message:
You need protein to perform many different functions in your body. Some of the proteins you need, your body can produce on its own. However, some proteins need to be obtained by your diet. This is just one of the reasons why it’s important for you to increase your intake of protein each day.
Your friend and trainer,
Paul F Sweatt CPT
Train Smart. Train Hard. Train Safe. Train to Sweatt.