Egg white shakes, enriched yogurts and puddings, bars, powder preparations of all flavors ... What is happening so that, suddenly, they are putting proteins through our eyes in all possible ways except the most 'natural', which is through food?

To try to find out, we should start by clarifying what proteins are, why they are so important for our body and what is the reason for this furor to put them even in the soup.

Essential nutrients for our body, "proteins are essential for a 'million' physiological and biochemical functions but, above all, for the construction of muscle mass and the maintenance of tissues, microbiota, skin, immune system, etc. There are 20 amino acids that form many types of proteins and, depending on what they are, form different structures such as, for example, cartilage. They play a fundamental role even in wound healing," explains nutritionist Andrea Ferrandis. However, he says, "it should be stressed that they are not more important than the other two essential macronutrients - fats and carbohydrates - or micronutrients, because they all play fundamental roles in maintaining health."

Proteins are present "in a large number of foods consumed daily, but the main ones are: meat, fish, eggs and dairy." Also, they can be obtained – and this is well known by vegans or vegetarians – "from other sources such as legumes".

What is the amount of protein we should eat daily? "There is a range that is stipulated between 0.8 and 2.5 grams per kilo of weight per day. The 0.8 is supposed to apply to sedentary people, but it has been proven that this amount is too small and is hardly used anymore. Nutritionists are already going, at least, to 1.2 or 1.5. Active people, on the other hand, should take 2.5 grams per kilo of weight, distributed in several intakes a day. "

This fact, he continues, "is very important: you should not consume all the protein you need in a single meal, because our body will not be able to use it efficiently. It should be ingested, therefore, at breakfast, lunch and dinner."

How can we know how much we are taking? "To measure it, we have to inform ourselves about the nutritional values of foods and the list of ingredients. There are many apps that facilitate this process," says Ferrandis.

For many years, stresses this nutritionist, "it was believed that an excess of protein could cause kidney problems – for this to happen you have to ingest very high amounts for a very long period of time – but it has been proven that not because it is eliminated in the urine. " Moreover, he warns, "the majority of the population sins just the opposite: it does not consume the minimum protein advisable due to the type of diet it takes."

And this is precisely where we come across the root of the matter, especially those who pass the age of 40, approximate age at which sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) begins to make its way into our anatomy. Because, without good strength training and adequate doses of protein, our muscles will lose the power they need to face the three basic missions that have been entrusted to them by nature: protect our bones, support our viscera and, eye, enhance the burning of calories (hence, as we get older and losing muscle volume, Let's get fat).

WHAT IS WHEY PROTEIN

In this scenario of 'I want, but I do not arrive' is where the 'boom' of supplementation and fortified foods has emerged. "In general, I'm little friend of supplements, because most don't do as much as they 'promise' to improve our health or athletic performance. It is much more advisable to spend the money on real quality food. However, it is true that, in general, it is very difficult for us to reach the daily protein requirements that our body needs and, therefore, there is no other way to resort to them, "says Javier Fernández Ligero, specialist in Nutrition.

What do you have to take into account to know how to choose in this universe of pot proteins? "The first thing that should be said," says Andrea Ferrandis, "is that all those that are for sale are safe. By current legislation, the quality of the protein that is marketed is perfectly regulated. It should be noted, however, that, as with any other type of food, some are better than others."

In any case, he continues, "it has been found that proteins of dairy origin are the best quality and those that our body uses more efficiently," an assertion that Fernández Ligero seconds: "Although it is true that they do not contribute anything that natural food does not provide, whey protein is an excellent option to reach the recommended amounts."

What is whey protein, also known as whey? "Yellowish or greenish in color, whey is obtained from cheese making; It is the one that has a greater biological value and the one that our body absorbs best. Therefore, it is nothing artificial, nor rare. It is absolutely natural and has been consumed for thousands of years. Although, it is true, that this liquid becomes powder by a manufacturing process."

Depending on its processing, three types of whey protein can be highlighted: hydrolyzed, isolated and concentrated. "The most expensive, due to the processes they take, and those that are best assimilated are hydrolyzed and isolated, but concentrated also provides multiple benefits," Ferrandis emphasizes.

In the case of vegans, who do not consume 'whey' proteins, "you can opt for pea, rice, soy or hemp that are quite standardized to achieve, in this way, the nutritional requirements they need."

In this, as in everything, "it is essential to read the labels well to know the nutritional value. Sometimes, we find chocolate proteins, cookies, etc. and we have to be clear that, to obtain these flavors, apart from the protein, they are adding other compounds, whether sweeteners, sweeteners or even sugars, maltodextrins, dextroses ... Protein, the purer, the better. My recommendation is to choose a neutral protein because, having no flavor, we know that they have not added any of these additives, or sweeteners. We can already give it the flavor we want, adding it to coffee, drinking it with pure cocoa, etc."

If our goal is to gain volume, Fernández Ligero advises "avoid these large bottles of powder to which they put half the protein and, then, carbohydrate in the form of sugar." Instead, he advocates that "we ourselves be the ones who add the carbohydrate that suits us best." And he gives us his recipe: "I usually recommend my patients to take a porridge that is prepared by mixing whey protein isolate with gluten-free rice cream, the one we usually find for children in supermarkets, adding a little water or almond milk. In this way, we will get the perfect combo to train."

FORTIFIED FOODS

What role do the so fashionable fortified foods play in all this? Andrea Ferrandis takes us out of doubts. "Protein yogurts are considered healthy if they are natural; chocolate, vanilla, etc., not (for the same reason as whey protein)."

And he recommends that we tread "carefully with marketing because, indeed, it is true that they have more proteins than the same category of unenriched food but, many times, they sneak it with the price: for example, the enriched natural yogurt that is marketed has the same amount of protein as zero percent fresh cheese and the price is much higher. "

In other words, "if our concern is to reach the daily requirements, it is not necessary to resort to more expensive products just because they carry the seal of enriched with proteins" Once again, he concludes, "we must emphasize the importance of reading the labels. Just because they're enriched with protein doesn't mean they have to add other unhealthy compounds."


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