ESCANABA — Americans are becoming more knowledgeable about nutrition and its importance….but it’s not enough. Many would proclaim our ignorance is killing us. For example, when the topic of protein and its importance comes up, the typical offering says you need protein to make muscle. Likely this is why many middle-aged citizens assume they don’t need as much if they don’t lift weights.

Protein is an essential nutrient, a requirement for life. When foods are consumed, they are broken down into more basic, simpler substances, one of them being amino acids. These are the building blocks our bodies use to create proteins. Amino acids allow proteins to serve the many vital functions our physical beings require.

Because of the dollars at play, the disease and illness associated, the quality of life issues at stake, controversy and contention surround this subject, muddied by rhetoric, marred by marketing. Even the science is confusing. But the data is accumulating and from multiple studies a reliable message has emerged.

Your average citizen would probably say you need to eat meat to get the protein you need, implying other food source don’t provide the critical nutrients. And therein lies the challenge of improving America’s diet: profound misunderstanding and misinformation continue to cloud the question of protein sources.

Science is quite certain all animals must ingest protein to survive. Where does a cow gets its protein? The obvious conclusion is that vegetables provide some protein. The knock against plant proteins was the absence of certain key, “essential” amino acids, ones the human body is incapable of manufacturing.

Of the 20 amino acids used by the body, there are nine considered essential, meaning they must be ingested in order for us to produce all the specialized proteins needed for tissue repair, a healthy immune system, and all the many functions of proteins. There are eleven amino acids we don’t need to consume since the human body is able to synthesize these (often using the 9 essential). They are an integral part of the biology of our lives.

Proteins, and therefore the amino acids used to fabricate these complex molecules, assist with healing of damaged tissues, helping the kidneys to remove toxins from the body, allowing nerves to create neurotransmitters so that they can fulfill their indispensable tasks, and a multitude of other functions. In essence, amino acids are the basic structural components of our bodies, composing our skin, our nerves, bones, and hair.

Few plant sources provide all of the essential amino acids. There are some plant proteins that are complete, but it is quite simple to receive all the needed amino acids from plant sources by varying your vegetables. By including in your diet a variety of vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains and nuts, you are assured of all the non-essential amino acids.

You don’t need to have some sort of precise, scientifically determined balance of foods. Veggies generally have most of the essentials, just not all 9 of them. Which amino acid is absent varies greatly, so getting all of the essentials is simple. Eat a variety of vegetables. If you want a snack, eat a handful of nuts instead of potato chips. Feature in a few meals things like beans, lentils, tofu, or whole grains.

Proteins derived from animals are complete proteins, furnishing all 9 of the essential amino acids we’re incapable of synthesizing. But animal proteins have a clear association with a number of diseases, including an increased risk of premature death from the major chronic killers of Western culture, especially cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Many people are under the impression that if they aren’t going to the gym or working out in some fashion, their protein requirements are minimal. This is false since so many bodily processes require protein. Several recent studies have found a close correlation between the kinds of proteins consumed when someone is in their middle years and how well they age.

Once armed with the knowledge that you are what you eat, perhaps change is possible. Your quality of life, from a larger perspective, is determined by your health in your later years when we’re prone to the ravages of time, the morbidity of infectious disease, and the inherited maladies too numerous to count. Think now of yourself, going into the future. The research shows that what you eat today will in large part determine how you are tomorrow.

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Dr. Conway McLean is a physician practicing foot and ankle medicine in the Upper Peninsula, with offices in Escanaba, Marquette, and L’Anse. McLean has lectured internationally on wound care and surgery, being board certified in surgery, orthotic therapy and wound care. His articles on health and wellness appear in multiple local and national publications. Dr. McLean welcomes subject requests for future articles at drcmclean@outlook.com.