If you visit gym on a regular basis, or even if you are just a health conscious person, you might know how important the protein content in the diet is. But, the fact that most of us do not know about is, there is also a great variety among proteins, and to get the most health benefits out of them, your focus should be more on quality than quantity.
How nitrogen comes into the picture?
Among the food items that most of us usually eat, nitrogen is something that’s almost uniquely present in proteins. So, by comparing the amount of nitrogen entering your body to the amount of nitrogen leaving it, you can estimate whether you are gaining the precious muscle mass, or whether you are losing it. You can get this information easily through nitrogen testing.
What if I am losing muscle mass?
Not everyone’s body has the same capacity of retaining muscle mass. If you are losing more protein than you are gaining, then the simple solution to this problem would be to increase your protein intake. However, if you think more about results, and don’t want to stress too much upon your diet, you can look for some other options that are available in the market.
Here’s a list of some sources that would give you enough good quality protein to fulfill all your protein needs:
- Whey Protein
Whey protein is derived from milk, and it provides you with the highest quality protein. This means that if you take whey protein, it is likely that your body will retain most part of it. Apart from that, your body immediately absorbs this type of protein. So, if you want immediate results, start taking whey protein. However, do make sure that the protein is supplied by a trusted brand, as there are plenty of brands out there that sell fake whey protein.
- Eggs
Egg albumin also provides you with a good amount of quality protein. 100 gm of egg contains 13g of protein. If you are too concerned about not adding any fat content to your body, you can ignore the egg yolk, as it contains quite a lot of fat. However, if fat is not your problem, then should never waste egg yolk. It contains vital nutrients like Vitamin B-12, which assists in fat breakdown.
- Milk
Milk contains whey and casein, which are two essential types of protein. It also provides you with a good quantity of Calcium and other vital nutrients like Vitamin A and D. No wonder milk is a complete food, at least those who tolerate its lactose content.
- Chicken
Chicken will also provide you with high quality protein. Always prefer boiled over fried, as too much intake of the fried chicken might lead you to heart diseases.
- Fish
Fishes or oily fishes in particular are excellent source of protein. They will also provide you with a good dosage of Omega 3 fatty acids, which helps muscle in recovering from fatigue.
Nevertheless, for most of us, simply improving our protein intake would do the job. As said earlier, your focus shouldn’t be only on the amount of protein you get, you should think more about the quality protein.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
