Are Animal Proteins Better for You Than Plant Proteins?
Does it matter where your protein comes from? Along with fats and carbohydrates, protein is one of the macronutrients we need to live. Our bodies use proteins from food to build and repair tissues, as well as make hormones, enzymes, and other things that are vital to our health. Traditionally, meat has been thought of as our main source of protein , but there are plenty of diverse protein sources out there. We talked to nutritionist Stephanie Cramer, administrative dietitian at Cedars-Sinai Clinical Nutrition Services, to help us understand the differences in protein sources. Animal protein Found in: meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish Cramer: The human body needs 20 different amino acids. Our bodies create 11 of them (these are called "non-essential amino acids"), but we must get the other 9 from food (essential amino acids). Animal proteins, such as meat, eggs, and milk, are complete proteins, meaning they provide all of the essential amino acids our body needs. Animal prod