6 Fun Facts About Protein You Probably Didn't Know

A balanced diet, including lots of protein, is crucial to staying healthy and strong. Beyond including meat in each meal, there are several other benefits of protein and how it affects our bodies. From keeping our bodies energized to digesting differently, check out these six fun facts about protein you probably have never heard of.

6. Protein is a macronutrient essential to fueling our bodies

Our sixth selection for fun facts about protein has to do with the importance of your daily intake. Proteins are essential to the human body and aid in growing, healing, and forming cell structure, along with carrying oxygen, protecting against disease, growing hair and nails, allowing eyesight, providing energy, and more. This is because proteins are made up of amino acids, the “building blocks” of our bodies that keep us healthy and strong.

5. Without a protein called Albumin our bodies would swell

Next up on our list of fun facts about protein list is what happens when we don’t have certain proteins. Albumin, for instance, is a protein in your blood that helps transport substances, maintain fluid balance, and fight infections. When albumin levels drop, fluid can build up in the feet, ankles, hands, and other parts of the body, making you swell.

4. The body can’t store protein like carbs and fat

While the body can store carbohydrates and fat, this is not true for protein. Fourth on our list of fun facts about protein, the body is unable to store excess protein. This extra will be either used for energy or converted into fat for storage. This is why a regular protein intake is crucial for muscle repair and tissue maintenance since the excess fat is no longer a viable substitute for protein.

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3. Not all proteins are digested equally

Third on our list of fun facts about protein has to do with the way it’s digested. Different sources of protein will result in varying rates of digestion. For instance, animal proteins are generally more readily digested than plant-based proteins due to the differences in structure and fiber in plant foods. This means that animal proteins are better for absorbing more amino acids, as there is no fiber to block the absorption into your body.

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2. Protein is made up of 22 amino acids, nine of which are essential

Getting the second spot on our list of fun facts about protein is their makeup. Proteins are made up of 22 amino acids, nine of which are considered essential. When amino acids are essential, they cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through your diet. The nine essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

1. The lifespan of most proteins lasts around two days

Last but not least on our list of fun facts about protein is their average lifespan. In total, there are about 100,000 different types of protein in the human body. While the lifespan of a protein can vary from a few minutes to several years, the average lifespan is around two days or less. Factors that can affect the lifespan include cell type, protein function, protein localization, and protein modification. While they may have a short lifespan, they are crucial to maintaining your body’s normal processes.