Proteins are made up of long chains of
amino acids, which are the building blocks for
all sorts of biological structures. The amino
acids in proteins are necessary for building,
maintaining, and repairing muscles,
connective tissue like tendons and ligaments,
skin, hair, and even your bones and teeth. In
addition, most enzymes and many hormones
in the body are actually proteins.
Fats are either in free form (free fatty
acids) or built into complexes. Fatty acids
belong to one of three types or families:
saturated, monounsaturated, or
polyunsaturated. Fats allow you to absorb fat-
soluble vitamins and essential nutrients from
food, help to transport nutrients across cell
membranes, and are critical to maintaining
proper immune function. Dietary fats are also
the building blocks for brain tissue, nerve
fibers, reproductive and stress hormones,
immune messengers, and cellular membranes.
Finally, fat is also an excellent slow-burning