Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are also the by products of protein digestion (hydrolysis). What distinguishes amino acids from the other basic nutrients, fatty acids and sugars, is the fact that amino acids are made up of about 16 percent nitrogen (whereas the others contain no nitrogen at all). Proteins are nothing more than chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds (a covalent bond formed by joining the carboxyl group of one amino acid to the amino group of another, with the removal of a molecule of water). The differences in proteins are defined by the different proportions of amino acids, which acids are present, and how they are structured. It is actually the amino acids that are the essential nutrients and not the “proteins” per se. This comes back to the “complete” and “incomplete” categorization of protein based on the amino acid properties.

What’s so important about Amino Acids

Every living thing on earth is composed of protein, in it’s many forms protein has a part in the various vital chemical processes that sustain life as we know it. Right after water, protein is what makes up the greatest percent of our body weight. Everything is composed of it; muscles, ligaments, nails, hair, body fluids, glands, organs, tendons. It’s easy to see why protein is a desirable supplement. Chromosomes sturctural basis is made up of proteins, and so are the enzymes and hormones that regulate all body processes. So you can see why amino acids and proteins are important to everyday life.