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Slow-Digesting Protein Foods

Dec 24, 2010 | By Syeda Sidrah
Slow-Digesting Protein Foods
Photo Credit Eising/Photodisc/Getty Images

With obesity described as a dilemma within the United States, a focus on maintaining a healthy diet has swept our nation, advising our citizens to make smart food choices while engaging in physical activity. Effective weight-loss strategies have consumed the nation, as diets focus on a low-caloric intake and higher caloric expenditure. Thus, protein-rich foods are popular due to their high level of satiation, leaving you to experience fewer hunger pangs and a greater weight-loss experience. A particular protein called casein is popular for its long-lasting effect on hunger and slower rate of digestion in your body.

About Proteins

Found throughout your muscles, bones, skin and tissues, proteins create the enzymes required for the necessary chemical reactions that occur throughout your body. Amino acids provide the raw material for building proteins that are directed by instruction from your genes, forming different lengths of chains. However, unlike carbohydrates and fats, amino acids are not stored in the body, therefore, requiring you to constantly replenish their supply in order to make new protein.

Protein Digestion

Protein digestion starts in your stomach where hydrochloric acid combines with an enzyme called pepsin, acting on the food. A number of factors influence the rate at which protein will digest, such as the concentration of the enzyme and the amount of protein food present, along with the food's temperature, acidity, and time. After the hydrochloric acid breaks down the protein bonds into amino acids, digestion continues in the upper section of your small intestine with the aid of pancreatic protein enzymes. Finally, amino acids are absorbed by your capillaries and sent into your blood stream.

Slow-digesting Proteins

There are many food products that contain protein to keep your body in good shape. Slow-digesting proteins are useful when not eating for prolonged periods. They form a gel-like substance in your gut, resulting in a fixed release of the amino acids into your body. They also decrease protein breakdown, resulting in sufficient muscle growth through protein synthesis.

Casein

According to the Complete Guide to Protein, casein proteins contain 80 percent milk protein, as compared to the 20 percent in whey protein. It is a time-released protein that acts slowly on your digestive system, absorbing at a slower rate than other proteins. Since casein is extracted from milk through a filtration process, the most effective sources to obtain slow-digesting proteins from are milk, cheese, cottage cheese, and casein protein powder for protein shakes.

Timing

Preparing for the long fast ahead during the night prevents your body from breaking down muscles for energy while you sleep. Since casein releases amino acids slower than other proteins, drinking a casein protein shake, drinking a glass of milk or eating low-fat cottage cheese will blunt your appetite until the morning.

References

Article reviewed by Julie Mendenhall Last updated on: Dec 24, 2010

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