Not counting water, protein makes up three quarters of your body and is found in every cell. Your muscles, organs, some hormones, and certain antibodies and enzymes are all made up of protein. No wonder this incredible substance was named from the Greek root meaning "of first importance."

What is Protein?

Proteins are complex compounds that are made up of smaller compounds called amino acids. There are twenty different amino acids that can be combined in an infinite number of ways to make up all the thousands of different proteins your body needs. Of these twenty amino acids, your body can manufacture eleven. The other nine must be supplied by your diet and are therefore called "the essential amino acids."

How Does Your Body Use Protein?

When you consume protein, your digestive system will break it down into its component amino acids. These amino acids go into an amino acid "bank" that your body can draw from to put together the proteins that it needs for tissue building and repair. If your body goes to the bank, and a particular amino acid is overdrawn, or in such short supply that the required protein cannot be built, then your body's tissues begin to break down.