Question

define the term "complimentary proteins" and explain how vegetarians can use this go meet their protein needs

Answer 1

A balanced diet consists of carbohydrate, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibres and water.

Proteins are necessary for the growth and repair of wounds ( healing of wounds). Proteins contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus. The simplest substance after protein digestion is amino acid. Proteins are required to supply specific amino acids and nitrogen for the synthesis of key nitrogeneous compounds.

The body requires 20 different amino acids to synthesise specific proteins and other nitrogeneous compounds like purine, pyrimidine and heme. Purine and pyrimidine are required for DNA synthesis , heme is required for Haemoglobin.

Essential amino acids are necessary amino acids that cannot be synthesised by the body and are thus needed to be supplied with the diet.

There are 9 essential amino acids in humans: histidine,isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine and tryptophan.

2 other amino acids- cysteine and tyrosine may be formed from the amino acids methionine and phenylalanine.

The quantity or amount of protein is measured by a comparison of different essential amino acids in a food.

The efficiency with which dietary protein is used determines the total amount of protein required. This amount is affected by 3 major factors: protein quality, energy intake and physical activity.

The protein requirement of an adult is 800 mg/kg of body mass..

Egg and milk proteins are high quality proteins.Meat protein is of high protein quality. Several proteins derived from plant sources are relatively deficient in certain amino acids. Example: maizelacks tryptophan and lysine, wheat lacks lysine.

In a mixed diet, the deficiency of an amino acid in 1 protein is made up by its abundance in another. Such proteins are called Complementary proteins.

The proteins of wheat and beans combined provides a satisfactory amino acid intake. In that case, a greater total amount of protein must be consumed to satisfy the total requirements.

Thus,,vegeterians can go for mixed vegetable diets consisting of wheat, beans , grams , cereals, groundnut , pulses to supplement their protein requirements. These are complementary proteins recommended for vegeterials.

Please note that milk is considered as an animal source and thus is excluded.