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- FUNCTION-
-
- Three-fourths of the bodies
- tissues (muscles, organs,
- antibodies, enzymes, some
- hormones) are made of pro-
- tein. The body is con-
- tinuously breaking down
- these proteins and requires
- dietary sources to help
- supply essential amino acids
- to rebuild them.
-
-
- FOOD SOURCES-
-
- Complete protein foods:
- meats, poultry, fish, shellfish,
- eggs, and dairy products.
- Plant sources (eaten toge-
- ther): beans, peas, nuts,
- grains, vegetables, and fruit.
-
-
- RISKS WITH EXCESS-
-
- The typical American diet
- has more protein than it
- needs. Diets with excess
- amounts of meat may contri-
- bute to coronary heart
- disease, cancer, and stroke
- because meat is a primary
- source of saturated fat. Also,
- diets high in meat and low in
- dairy products increases the
- loss of calcium in the body.
-
-
- RISKS WITH DEFICIENCY-
-
- Protein deficiency is very
- rare in the United States. A
- diet with 12 to 15 percent of
- total calories from protein
- would adequately meet the
- RDA.
-