Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. There are twenty amino acids used by the human body. Ten of these amino acids are manufactured by the body. The other ten amino acids are not made by the body and so need to be ingested and are categorized as “essential” or “indispensable”. Foods that are good sources of all the needed amino acids are in animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk.

The human body cannot directly use the protein as it is found in food; instead, the body breaks down the consumed protein. Digestive enzymes cleave off individual amino acids or groups of amino acids, called peptides, and then rebuild it into human compatible proteins. Like the letters of the alphabet make words, amino acids make all the proteins used in the human body. The body produces thousands of different proteins.

Proteins are components of:
• Body tissues such as hair, nails, skin, bones, blood, muscles, and organs
• Hormones that regulate metabolism
• Enzymes that enhance the chemical reactions in the body
• Antibodies that enhance the immune system