When we consume foods containing protein, enzymes in our digestive system break down the protein molecule into amino acids.

This enables the reorganization of amino acids to generate specialized proteins that the body may need to aid in muscle building and repair. The human body has more than 20,000 proteins, which perform a wide variety of functions: synthesizing hemoglobin (a protein located in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body), enzymes (proteins that help speed up the body's chemical reactions), building and repairing muscles, and generating keratin.