Cebu City - In the human body, our cells make up tissues then tissues make up organs and then organs make up organ systems. It is part of human nature that something whole consists of something little that makes it a whole. This little structures or units are vital in every way. This principle also applies to amino acids. Amino acids, also known as protein building blocks, are compounds that play a variety of important roles in your body.
These biomolecules are involved in a variety of biological and chemical functions in the human body and are required for human growth and development. There are approximately 300 amino acids that occur in nature. Amino acids are left over after proteins are digested or broken down. The human body uses amino acids to make proteins to help in the functions like:
- Break down food,
- Grow,
- Body tissue repair, and
- Perform other bodily functions
The body can also use amino acids as a source of energy. Amino acids are classified into three groups. These are essential amino acids, nonessential amino acids, and conditional amino acids. Essential amino acids must come from the diet since they cannot be made by the body itself. Nonessential amino acids mean that our own body can produce the amino acid even if we don’t get if from external sources. Lastly, conditional amino acid means that they are not usually essential except of certain factors such as in times of illness and stress.
A person doesn’t need to always eat the foods that contain essential, nonessential and conditional amino acids but getting a balance of all of them is important because each amino acid has its own unique function in the body. Therefore, a well-balanced diet and the application of MoVaBa (moderation variety balance) should be followed. // PDO I Noah Vincent D. Gallo, RND
Sources:
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm
