Amino acids are basic structural building units. If you can imagine proteins as a chain, then the amino acids would be the links.
Your body employs a complex mechanism for exchanging amino acids to maintain the protein structure in your tissues and organs.
If your diet doesn’t consist of enough complete protein or you are unable to digest it due to an enzyme deficiency, you may not get enough of the amino acids your body requires.
What Happens
The enzyme
protease
breaks down dietary protein into its component peptides or small fragments of individual amino acids. A reduction in protease will likely result in a corresponding reduction of amino acids as well.
If this occurs, your body has to compensate by breaking down existing stores of protein. The target areas for protein reserves are your blood, muscle and organ tissues.
What to Look For
If you have trouble digesting this food group you will likely have cravings for protein rich foods and will experience digestive stress or upset shortly after eating a meal.
If you are experiencing any kind of food intolerance, your first option should be to look for a good quality digestive enzyme. For more information on how enzymes assist digestion, please see
Enzymes in Digestion