What do Enzymes, Proteins and Acids do in the body?

Our Bodies are process miracles! How they are able to keep us alive and running smoothly is truly amazing…

Proteins, Enzymes and Acids all play a large part in sustaining life.

What Are Proteins?

Proteins are large, complex molecules made up of hundreds or thousands of smaller units called amino acids, which are attached to one another in long chains. There are 20 different types of amino acids that can be combined to make a protein. The sequence of amino acids determines each protein’s unique 3-dimensional structure and its specific function, such as an antibody, enzyme, membrane receptor, message transmitter, transport/storage or structural support for cells.

Protein is found in virtually every body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that catalyze chemical reactions and haemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. 

What Do Proteins Do?

Proteins do most of the work in cells and are required for the structure, function and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs. Proteins perform various functions in the body. They are involved in the formation of structures including muscle, cartilage, bone, blood, hair, nails, skin and cell membrane components. Most globular proteins serve as enzymes, hormones, and transportation proteins in the blood. Other globular proteins called antibodies serve as key molecules in the immune system. Protein maintains an appropriate, balanced pH level, without which our life and health would be in danger. 

Protein gets broken down into amino acids to build muscle and make other proteins the body needs to function and it can get broken down into fatty acids to make cell linings and hormones. Proteins regulate body processes to maintain fluid balance. Albumin and Globulin help maintain your body’s balance by attracting and retaining water. Some proteins transport nutrients like vitamins or minerals, blood sugar, cholesterol and oxygen. Other proteins store. Protein can provide energy but the body prefers to use carbohydrates and fats to provide energy and use protein to repair and maintain the body.  

How Much Protein Do I Need?

The body needs protein for growth and maintenance (building and repairing) of tissues. An increase in protein intake may boost your metabolism, giving you an opportunity to burn more calories during the day. The recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein intake is 56 grams per day for an average sedentary man and 46 grams per day for an average sedentary woman. Excess protein is stored in the liver and in fat cells.

What Are the Effects of a Low Protein Intake?

If you don’t eat enough protein, your body will use the protein first as a source of fuel instead of building muscle and making repairs. Your liver needs sufficient protein to function correctly. Also, albumin and globulin decrease and can no longer keep blood in your blood vessels and the fluid is forced into the spaces between your cells and creates edema or swelling.

What Are Enzymes?

Enzymes are biologically active proteins found in all living cells. Our bodies naturally produce both digestive and metabolic enzymes, as they are needed.

Metabolic enzymes catalyze and regulate every biochemical reaction that occurs within the human body, making them essential for cellular function and overall health.  

Digestive enzymes turn the food we eat into energy which may be used by the body for a variety of biological processes.  

What Do Enzymes Do?

Enzymes are protein chemicals which carry energy needed for every chemical action and reaction that occurs in our body. There are approximately 1300 different enzymes found in the human cell. They carry out almost all of the thousands of chemical reactions that take place in cells. They also assist with the formation of new molecules by reading the genetic information stored in DNA. Blood clotting depends on enzymes as does muscle contraction.

Enzymes are biological catalysts. They increase the rate of chemical reactions in cells without being consumed or permanently altered themselves and without altering the chemical equilibrium between reactants and products. Without enzymes, these reactions would take place too slowly to sustain life. Most reactions inside cells occur almost one million times faster with the aid of enzymes thanks to the lowered level of activation energy required. Enzymes typically react with just one specific molecule type. There can be thousands of enzymes at work in one organism, each one with a vital role.

They can only work with specific molecules and only do specific tasks. For example, unique enzymes exist in neural cells, intestinal cells, and your saliva. 

What Affects Enzyme Activity?

The environment of the enzyme and the substrate can affect the speed of the reaction. In some cases the environment can cause the enzyme to stop working or even unravel. When an enzyme stops working we call it "denatured." Here are some things that can affect enzyme activity:

• Temperature - The higher the temperature, the faster the reaction will occur until the temperature becomes so high that the enzyme will denature and stop working.
• pH – The pH level, or acidity, of the environment around the enzyme and substrate can affect the reaction rate. An extreme pH (high or low) will typically slow or even stop the reaction altogether.
• Concentration - A higher concentration of substrate or enzyme can increase the reaction rate.
• Inhibitors - Inhibitors are molecules that are specially made to stop the activity of enzymes. They may slow down the reaction or stop it altogether. Some inhibitors bond with the enzyme causing it to change shape and not work correctly. The opposite of an inhibitor is an activator which can help to speed up the reaction.

What Is Acid?

An acid is defined as anything that breaks apart and donates protons or hydrogen ions to a solution. The most important acids in the human body are amino acids, fatty acids, ascorbic acid and hydrochloric acid.

Amino acids are organic compounds composed of nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, along with a variable side chain group. Your body needs 20 different amino acids to grow, function properly and stay healthy; yet only nine amino acids are classified as essential. (Reference) They are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. In specific cases such as illness or stress, some of the non-essential amino acids come into play such as arginine. The nine essential amino acids can’t be produced by your body so you need to get them through your diet.

Why Are Amino Acids Important?

Your body uses amino acids to:

create neurotransmitters (mood, sleep, behaviours)

         stimulate muscle growth and regeneration

improve athletic performance

         build collagen and elastin

         aid metabolism/digestion/detoxification

         help immune function

         synthesize protein

         absorb nutrients

produce energy

         

What Role Do Fatty Acids Play in Our Body?

Fatty acids, like omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are a major component of all your cells, a structure called the phospholipid bilayer. Without this structure intact, your body would literally fall apart. Fatty acids are also crucial for brain health and metabolism, dilation and constriction of blood vessels and blood clotting.    

Why Do We Need Ascorbic Acid?

Ascorbic acid/vitamin C, is known for fighting off colds by strengthening your immune system. It also helps form proteins that your body uses to make blood vessels, tendons, ligaments and skin. As well, ascorbic acid plays a major role in wound healing and scar tissue formation and helps keep your cartilage, bones and teeth healthy. Your body also needs ascorbic acid to properly absorb iron.

Since your body can’t make ascorbic acid on its own, you need to get it through your diet. The richest sources of vitamin C are citrus and other fruits, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, bell peppers, spinach, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes and winter squash. You can also meet your needs through supplementation, but whole, fresh foods are always best.

Hydrochloric Acid

Hydrochloric acid is a critical component of digestion. Your stomach contains a mixture of Hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride and sodium chloride, which work together to break down the food you eat and convert a compound called pepsinogen to pepsin, the enzyme that helps break down proteins into amino acids. Without adequate amounts of stomach acid, you can’t break down the food you eat and, as a result, your body can't properly absorb the nutrients from it.

Proteins, enzymes and acids are all critical components of our body and all of its functions. Without them there would be no life.