Summer is here, which means it's not only time to get some natural vitamin D via sunshine, it's time to do a quick check on any weight management goals you may have had.  Recent research suggests that a naturally occurring component found in high protein foods may help maintain muscle mass.  Why is this important?  Outside of the obvious reasons for muscle, it also burns about 3x more calories than fat¹!  What is this seemingly magical ingredient - an amino acid called leucine.

First, some background about protein.  Protein is made of smaller "building blocks" called amino acids, of which leucine is one.  It is one of nine essential amino acids that we must get from our diet because our body cannot make them.  The only type of food that contains all nine essential amino acids comes from animals products.  Plant foods may contain this amino acid in varying amounts, which tends to be lower than the amount found in animal products.

Recent studies suggest that leucine is crucial when it comes to identifying the quality of protein that influences

If you prefer to keep your consumption of leucine from food the best source is animal products.  To obtain about 2g/day for the average person you can consume:

• 2 ½ cups of milk (skim, 1% or 2%)
• 3-4 oz of cooked poultry, beef, fish, game meat (such as elk, bison)
• 4 servings of soymilk or other soyfoods

As I mentioned above, in order to make positive changes in your body composition, exercise and a healthy diet are also imperative.  Train hard, eat smart and enjoy the summer!

 

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites