If there were zodiac signs for ingredients, proteins might well merit one. While officially we might be in the Age of Aquarius, from an ingredients perspective, I would say we're definitely in the Age of Proteins. And based on the many developments (both functional and health-related) that this article will cover, I think I can safely say that this age is only beginning-one might call it the dawning of the age of proteins. Proteins are the principal material-or building blocks-of which animals such as we humans are made. Chemically, proteins are complex organic compounds made up chiefly of amino acids. Proteins in the food are broken down into amino acids by digestion. They are then absorbed and distributed by the bloodstream to the body cells, which rebuild these amino acids into body proteins. Each specific protein performs a specific function in the body. Generally speaking, these functions include the formation of new tissues from infancy to adulthood; maintenance of body tissues; regulation of body processes; milk production; and production of energy. Proteins also function as hormones, enzymes, and antibodies.
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