۹ Important Functions of Protein in Your Body

Protein helps repair and build your body’s tissues. It drives metabolic reactions, maintains pH and fluid balance, and keeps the immune system strong. It also transports and stores nutrients and can act as an energy source.
Protein is crucial to good health.
Proteins are made up of amino acids that join together to form long chains. You can think of a protein as a string of beads in which each bead is an amino acid.

There are 20 amino acids that help form the thousands of different proteins in your body.
Proteins do most of their work in the cell and perform various jobs.
Here are 9 important functions of protein in your body.

۱. Growth and Maintenance
Protein is required for the growth and maintenance of tissues. Your body’s protein needs are dependent upon your health and activity level.
۲. Causes Biochemical Reactions
Enzymes are proteins that allow key chemical reactions to take place within your body.
۳. Acts as a Messenger
Amino acid chains of various lengths form protein and peptides, which make up several of your body’s hormones and transmit information between your cells, tissues and organs.

۴. Provides Structure
A class of proteins known as fibrous proteins provide various parts of your body with structure, strength and elasticity.
۵. Maintains Proper pH
Proteins act as a buffer system, helping your body maintain proper pH values of the blood and other bodily fluids.
۶. Balances Fluids
Proteins regulate body processes to maintain fluid balance.

Albumin and globulin are proteins in your blood that help maintain your body’s fluid balance by attracting and retaining water (21, 22).
If you don’t eat enough protein, your levels of albumin and globulin eventually decrease.
Consequently, these proteins can no longer keep blood in your blood vessels, and the fluid is forced into the spaces between your cells.
As the fluid continues to build up in the spaces between your cells, swelling or edema occurs, particularly in the stomach region (23).
This is a form of severe protein malnutrition called kwashiorkor that develops when a person is consuming enough calories but does not consume enough protein (24).

Kwashiorkor is rare in developed regions of the world and occurs more often in areas of starvation.
۷. Bolsters Immune Health
Proteins form antibodies to protect your body from foreign invaders, such as disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

۸. Transports and Stores Nutrients
Some proteins transport nutrients throughout your entire body, while others store them.
۹. Provides Energy