We have been reading a lot about the benefits of protein intake in general, with special attention paid to its positive effect on weight loss and metabolic health. Now in order to truly break it down for you and help you realize the necessity of a protein-rich diet here are some of the main health benefits concerning protein intake.
It can reduce your blood sugar levels
In comparison to carbs, proteins require a smaller portion of insulin to be metabolized. So by replacing your high-carb diet with a healthier lean protein based one, you will keep your glycemic index in check. This, in return, means that you are actively protecting yourself from Type II Diabetes that is directly connected to high insulin production. So, in this case, you can rely on the lean proteins to keep your glucose levels in check thus protecting you from diabetes.
More proteins, healthier heart
Apart from our liver, the heart has the hardest job of all and it simply doesn’t stop. This is why it is essential that we do our best to protect it, and introducing lean proteins into our daily nutrition can do just that. As we have mentioned in the previous paragraph, proteins help us maintain a balanced blood sugar level in our body, which in return has a great positive effect on our heart. The fact of the matter is that if we substitute unhealthy foods with lean proteins, we can ensure a lower LDL cholesterol as well as lower triglyceride levels keeping our heart healthy and our aortas fat-free.
Your energy levels will get a boost
If you are trying to lead a healthy life, and keep up with your fitness regimen, you need to provide your body with sufficient amounts of energy. Well, that’s where proteins come in, they can replace carbohydrates, and specifically glucose as the main source of energy for mitochondrial cell metabolism. Now, the proteins can convert into a small amount of glucose to cover the energy needs of your brain, while your fats are converted into ketone bodies and take care of the energy needs of the rest of the body. As you might be aware thus far this will require you to change up your nutritional habits and boost your protein intake, but don’t worry it does not mean you’ll have to break the bank. There is an abundance of cheaper sources of protein that can help you make the transition without putting a dent in your family’s budget.
Improved quality of your hair and skin
Yes, proteins play a significant part here too. When it comes to hair, an increased intake of lean proteins can help boost hair growth and hair quality. Being that our hair is a protein-based tissue it is rich in protein collagen which requires vitamin C and specific amino acids to synthesize. So in other to have strong, healthy hair increasing the intake of food rich in these three ingredients is essential. When it comes to our skin, benefits of an increased lean protein intake are numerous. As you already might know our skin contains two very important proteins, collagen and elastin. Both of this help preserve its ability to return to its natural state while collagen also helps keep the skin barrier intact. So ensuring sufficient amounts of these two proteins are synthesized will enable our skin to stay elastic and healthy for years to come.
Keeps our bones in good shape
This might sound a bit strange to you considering that we have been bombarded for years with the idea that high protein diets are bad for bone health. As it turns out it is the quality of the diet that matters. So a well-balanced lean protein diet that also contains sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables can actually stimulate the production of a growth factor known as IGF-1, which aids mineral deposition into bone thus making it more structurally dense.
Provides support for your immune system
The calculations are quite simple. Our metabolism is quite a complex machinery that requires a lot of quality parts to work together. One of those parts are the good bacteria that reside in our gut, while the other, the antibodies, are protein-based components. Now, this is a perfect balance which if disturbed could lead to a drop in our immune defenses. So in order to avoid that it is important that we introduce sufficient amounts of protein into our bodies, which will in return aid in the production of antibodies so that our immune system is ready to defend us in case of an infection.
Is essential for weight loss
This is something we have already mentioned in the introduction, and probably the benefit you are most familiar with. The formula is quite simple, a high protein diet boosts metabolism leading to an automatic reduction in calorie intake and cravings. Just a slight modification in your diet in favor of an increased lean protein intake can help visibly reduce your weight and keep it off.
Helps your muscles to remain strong and healthy
Any athlete can tell you that protein forms are building blocks for muscles. And without a well-balanced protein diet, you cannot achieve the desired fitness results. An increased protein intake increase both muscle mass and strength and aid in boosting our body’s ability to stay active. This is why many athletes decide on artificial protein intakes as to have better results, but in truth, you can focus on getting your protein supply from the protein-rich food and it will give you the results that you need.
So there you have it, eight great and important benefits of introducing protein-rich foods into your nutrition and providing your body with an essential ingredient it needs to stay healthy and serve you for years to come.