The health benefits of protein

A healthy diet helps protect us from malnutrition in all its forms, as well as non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

But what does science say about the role of protein in our bodies? What are some benefits of a high protein diet for an active person who wants to get stronger?

Dana Ryan, Director of Sports Performance and Education at Herbalife Nutrition, explains that protein is one of the three main nutrients, along with carbohydrates and fats, in our diets.

These large, complex molecules that perform many vital functions in the body are made up of amino acids. They are linked by links that can be imagined as pieces that come apart and reassemble in different ways.

Ryan explains that proteins and amino acids are the main components of our muscles, bones, skin, tissues, and organs. When you eat protein, the body breaks it down into individual amino acids during digestion and then uses those amino acids to produce new proteins when needed.

“If we don’t eat enough protein, our body will start getting it from the inside, starting with muscle breakdown,” Ryan warns.