Protein is an essential nutrient for the building, maintaining, and repairing of almost all the tissues in your body, including your bones, muscles, blood, hair, nails, and organs.<\/p>\n
Protein also gives your body energy, although that\u2019s not its main role. It can also help keep your immune system strong (because proteins<\/a> are a component of your immune system). Eating protein also has the benefit of keeping you feeling full longer<\/a>. If weight loss is a goal, it\u2019s helpful to know that protein can help ease hunger<\/a>, boost metabolism, and reduce cravings.<\/p>\n What we call protein is made up of 21 amino acids<\/a>. Your body can make 12 of them, but there are 9 that are called the \u201cessential\u201d amino acids because you need to get them directly from your food.<\/p>\n As long as you\u2019re eating a variety of whole foods and getting enough total calories and overall protein, you should meet your needs for all nine essential amino acids. The notion that you need to combine foods (especially plant-based foods) to get the right balance of amino acids (also referred to as complete proteins) is a myth<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more on the protein-combining myth, watch this video from Dr. Michael Greger:<\/p>\n\n