Although the quantity of protein consumed is important it is much more important to consider the quality of protein.
High quality protein is completely whole and non-denatured. It contains essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other natural co-factors. These components are very important for overall amino acid utilization and energy production. Protein by nature digests to form an acidic ash. These co-factors help provide alkaline substances that maintain normal acid/base balance.
Processing Damages the Protein:
There is a tremendous amount of processing that takes place to produce a protein isolate. It is completely unnatural. This processing strips out the natural proteolytic enzymes, minerals & anti-oxidants. This reduces overall bioavailability and creates a highly acidic and inflammatory food product.
The branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s) leucine, isoleucine and valine are especially important for building muscle. Many research trials have shown that BCAA’s improve red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum albumin, fasting glucose levels, increased glycogenesis and rapid improvement in muscular inflammation. These attributes make optimizing BCAA content extremely important for overall health and performance.
The BCAA leucine is the only amino acid that helps to stimulate muscle cell DNA to increase muscle protein synthesis. Muscle cells contain an inhibitory enzyme named 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). Leucine stimulates the cellular phosphorylation of 4E-BP1, effectively removing it. The removal of 4E-BP1 allows for greater activation of factors involved with muscle protein synthesis.
The best food sources for BCAA’s such as leucine are found in high quality dairy products. Raw cheese, raw milk and non-denatured whey protein are the most bioavailable forms of these critical nutrients. These BCAA’s should always be consumed as whole foods and not as synthetically derived supplements which are of inferior quality.