The Importance of Protein for Growing Teens

Amino Acids

• Protein is an important component of the human diet because it delivers essential amino acids to the body. The human body requires 22 different amino acids to develop and function properly. While the human body makes 13 amino acids on its own, teenagers need to receive the remaining nine amino acids essential for growth through dietary intake.

Protein and Development

• Children ages 9 to 18 need more protein than any other age group. The nine essential amino acids that children and teens only receive from protein-rich food sources are imperative to development and maintenance of healthy body functions. They give teens energy and allow muscles, hair skin and nails to develop and grow. In adolescence, the amino acids found in protein sources are required for proper cell building, bone maintenance, metabolic regulation and repair to damaged cells and tissues. Protein also aids in teens̵7; healthy production of hormones and enzymes, keeps their immune systems healthy and strong, regulates bodily fluids and transports other essential nutrients to body tissues.

Adolescent Protein Requirements

• Protein is so important to children̵7;s development and growth that when adolescents do not receive adequate amounts of protein, an array of health problems arise. Conditions associated with severe protein deficiencies include muscle deterioration, stunted brain development and physical growth, and anemia. To determine a healthy adolescent's general protein needs, divide his weight by 2. That's how many grams of protein per day the teen should consume. A healthy teenage girl weighing 110 pounds, for example, requires about 55 grams of protein per day.

Protein Sources

• Teenagers can receive the amino acids they need from a variety of protein sources. Lean animal meat is a high-quality source of protein because it has all nine of the essential amino acids that adolescents need for healthy development. Dairy products, legumes, nuts, and some fruits and vegetables are also rich protein sources, but because they only contain some of the essential amino acids, teenagers should eat a variety of items from these food groups. Red beans alone, for example, won̵7;t provide teenagers with all nine essential amino acids, but red beans and brown rice will.