You probably know you need to eat protein, but what is it? Many foods contain protein , but the best sources are beef, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes like black beans and lentils.
Protein builds, maintains, and replaces the tissues in your body. (Not the tissues you blow your nose in! We mean the stuff your body’s made up of.) Your muscles, your organs, and your immune system are made up mostly of protein.
Your body uses the protein you eat to make lots of specialized protein molecules that have specific jobs. For instance, your body uses protein to make hemoglobin , the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to every part of your body.
Other proteins are used to build cardiac muscle. What’s that? Your heart! In fact, whether you’re running or just hanging out, protein is doing important work like moving your legs, carrying oxygen to your body, and protecting you from disease.