Proteins are composed of hundreds of thousands of amino acids. The body must break down these proteins into its amino acid constituents before the proteins can be used.
There are twenty different amino acids in our bodies. Out of these twenty, fourteen are non-essential amino acids, meaning that our bodies can produce them naturally, the remaining six are known as the essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are the amino acids we must consume within our diet.
Amino acids are important for all around good health and well-being. They are paramount to the growth, maintenance, and repair of the human body. Amino acids are vital for the formation of muscles, skin, hair, nails, and the chemical catalyst: enzymes; they also play an important role in the body's immune system. |