Protein has become one of the latest buzzwords in the field of health and wellness, particularly where it concerns weight loss and muscle gain. Protein is a critical component for good health as a building block of the human body. Protein is needed to build muscle, which is why many athletes and weight loss proponents are ramping up the amount of protein they consume daily through products such as organic protein powder while trimming their carb counts.
While protein can be derived from many dietary sources, many who seek convenience and want to benefit from the maximum benefits of protein consumption opt for the use of natural protein powders. Those powders can pack quite a punch, providing the additional protein needed to help satiate cravings, build additional muscle mass, and ramp up the metabolism. But the benefits of a protein rich diet go well beyond simple weight loss and enhanced fitness. Keep reading to learn more about the true power of protein in establishing health and wellness.
Increases Muscle Mass
Muscle is built with protein. Without it, muscle tissue isn’t under constant construction. If there’s not enough protein in your diet, your body may even cannibalize your existing muscle tissue to get the protein it needs. When your body begins to adjust to the restricted calorie intake associated with many weight loss programs, it will attempt to locate resources anywhere it can find them. Unfortunately, the protein in your body is found in the muscles, and muscle wasting is common in restricted diets that aren’t high in protein. Therefore, if you want to add muscle and strength and prevent the loss of muscle tissue during dieting, you must make sure that protein is present in sufficient quantities to accommodate gains.
Reduces Appetite
One of the hardest things to do when dieting is fight back feelings of hunger and keep your appetite in check. When your body senses that calories are being restricted, its natural response is to initiate feelings of hunger to encourage you to eat by producing a hormone known as ghrelin. However, that is suboptimal when you are restricting your calories to lose weight and it can make calorie restriction torturous while your body adjusts to the new reality. Protein can help keep you satiated without a high calorie count, however. Protein reduces the production of ghrelin while boosting peptide YY, which is a hormone that makes you feel full. As a result, protein is more filling than both fat and carbohydrates, which means that a diet heavy in protein leads to fewer cravings for the very foods you want to avoid.
Boosts Metabolism and Fat Burning
While people who are involved in weight loss programs understand the need to move more and eat less, there’s another component to weight loss that can work on your behalf even when you’re sleeping. By boosting your metabolism, you increase the calorie burning capacity of your body at both work and rest. In other words, with a boosted metabolism you are burning more calories even when sitting still. Protein can help charge up your metabolism since it has a greater thermic effect on the body that fat or carbs. Thermic effect is a term used to describe the number of calories your body must burn to break down food into usable nutrients. Protein therefore leads to higher metabolism and calorie burning capacity, which will accelerate weight loss.
Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can wreak havoc on the human body, putting sufferers of hypertension at increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease. Protein consumption can help lower your blood pressure and encourage better overall heart health. A protein rich diet can lead to a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure numbers while also reducing LDL cholesterol counts. LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol implicated in the formation of arterial plaque, a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
If you want to lose weight, build a stronger body, and achieve greater overall health, consumption of protein can provide you with solutions. Protein powders aren’t just for body builders and athletes, as they can help anyone reach their health goals when used properly. To learn more about the power of protein, contact BioPharma Scientific at (877) 772-4362.