Part 1: Proteins - The Nature of Proteins

An average adult contains about 10 – 12 kg of proteins, with 60-70% of it located within the skeletal muscles.

Typically we get 10-15% of our calories each day from proteins. During digestion proteins are broken down into amino acids constituents for absorption.

Proteins are made of peptides of amino acids. Two amino acid joined produce a dipeptide. Combination of 50 or more amino acids form a protein. In total, roughly 50,000 different protein-containing compounds exist in the body.

TO THOSE WHO BUY COLOSTRUM
A newborn baby has no antibodies - but within a few days on breast milk, the baby suddenly has a fully functioning immune system! A miracle.

Antibodies ingested through the mouth
Antibodies are proteins of more than 1,000 amino acids and the new baby could not possibly get them through the mother's milk which went into the baby's body through the mouth and stomach. The antibodies are digested into amino acids and can never be absorbed into the blood as a complete ANTIBODY. The intestines can only absorb peptides of 15-30 amino acids long.

The IgG antibody in the colostrums milk is too big to be absorbed. It is digested into amino acids before absorption. Colostrum is a good source of protein, calcium and minerals. The only useful antibody is the IgA a mucosal antibody to protect the mucosal lining of the intestinal tract and it is never absorbed as it is TOO BIG!

The basic unit of each antibody is monomer. An antibody can be monomeric, dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric, pentameric etc. The monomer is a "Y"-shaped molecule that consists of two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains connected by disulfide bonds.

There are five types of heavy chain: γ, δ, α, μ and ε. They define classes of immunoglobulins. Heavy chains α and γ have approximately 450 amino acids, while μ and ε have approximately 550 amino acids.

There are only two types of light chain: λ and κ. In humans they are similar, but only one type is present in each antibody. Each light chain has two successive domains: one constant and one variable domain. The approximate length of a light chain is from 211 to 217 amino acids.