Protein is essential for virtually every one of your cellular functions. Most people, when they think of protein, think of building muscles, but there’s much more to protein than merely muscle. You need protein for the structure, metabolic function, and regulation of all tissues and organs, including muscle.

Every cell in your body is full of enzymes, which are proteins that control your metabolism. Protein is also important for neurotransmitters which are responsible for mood and even sleep. Your bones, your ligaments, your tendons, your liver, your brain, skin, and fingernails are all built from proteins. To truly understand protein, we must first understand that proteins are built from amino acids, which are the foundation of how we will build our diet.

By getting your protein intake correct, you will get your amino acid requirements correct. There are 20 amino acids; some sources of protein have more and/or a better balance of the individual amino acids than others.