Protein is an essential nutrient for the growth and maintenance of our body. Getting enough protein is the cornerstone of a healthy diet, and it has been linked to a number of health benefits, including helping prevent a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products are generally considered the best sources of protein.
The protein diet is one of the healthiest diet options out there. This diet includes eating high amounts of protein until you feel full. This will help you lose weight and keep it off. But is this diet really safe? Some studies suggest that a high amount of protein in the diet can cause harm to the body, such as damage to kidneys and liver.
If you’re the type of person that has always been concerned about his or her health, you’ve probably heard something about high-protein diets. The idea is that these diets can be really good for our health, and can also be really good for weight loss, which is why some people are even going to the extent of calling them “miracle diets”.
Will protein aid in my weight loss? Is it necessary for me to consume it at every meal? Is it possible that eating too much can harm my kidneys? At, we get a lot of inquiries regarding the benefits and drawbacks of consuming extra protein. We’ll clear the air in this post so you can finally tell the truth from the fiction.
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Perhaps you’re a pro-protein promoter.
Protein powder is sold in a “bucket with a handle” style. Every meal you consume has a protein content that you are aware of.
You cram those amino acids into your cells after every exercise. You can feel them becoming swole, you swear.
Maybe you’re a protein skeptic.
Maybe you’ve heard some nasty rumors.
Protein, for example, may harm your kidneys.
Alternatively, protein causes cancer.
Or, to put it another way, we all consume too much protein.
Perhaps you wish to lose weight. Alternatively, you might build muscle. Alternatively, you may choose to be healthy.
You simply want to eat healthier and do the right thing. However, with so much contradictory information regarding protein, you’re not sure what to believe.
Or, if you’re a fitness and nutrition coach, you’re probably wondering how to decipher your customers’ protein misunderstanding.
Let’s get started. We’ll look at the following topics in this article:
- What does it mean to eat a high-protein diet?
- What is the scientific data on high-protein diets and health?
- Is the source of protein important?
- How much protein should I consume?
How should you view this article?
If you’re simply interested about high-protein diets, here’s what you should know:
- You are free to browse and study as much as you want.
If you wish to alter your physique and/or health, follow these steps:
- You don’t have to be aware of every detail. Just grasp the gist of it.
- At the bottom of the page, you’ll find some advice.
If you’re a performance-oriented athlete, you should:
- Particular attention should be paid to the section on athletic performance.
- At the conclusion, we have some advise for athletes.
If you’re a fitness expert or just want to learn more about nutrition, read on.
- We’ve included some “extra credit” information in the sidebars.
- At the bottom of the page, you’ll find our fitness expert tips.
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What’s the purpose of protein?
If you’re not familiar with nutrition, here’s a short primer:
- Protein is one of the three major macronutrients found in our diet. (Fat and carbohydrate are the other two.)
- Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.
- Most of the things in our body are made out of amino acids. They’re similar to Legos in that they can be disassembled and reassembled in a variety of ways.
- We don’t keep a lot of excess amino acids like we do extra fat (which we can readily store on our butts and stomachs). Protein is constantly consumed, recycled, and sometimes excreted.
- If we don’t eat enough protein, our bodies will start stealing it from vital organs like our muscles.
- As a result, we must consume protein on a regular basis to maintain our health.
We need protein.
Protein is so essential that we would die or become severely malnourished if we didn’t have it.
(Kwashiorkor is a protein deficiency illness that is often seen in individuals who have been through famines or who eat a low-protein diet.)
Protein makes up all of your enzymes and cell transporters, all of your blood transporters, all of your cell scaffolding and structures, 100 percent of your hair and fingernails, most of your muscle, bone, and internal organs, and numerous hormones. As a result, protein is required for the majority of our body’s activities.
To put it another way, you’re essentially a mound of protein.
You can’t exist without protein.
What much of protein do we require?
The short answer is that it depends.
Let’s start with the current RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) (RDA).
Protein RDA is 0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb) – the more weight you have, the more protein you need:
- A 150-pound (68-kilogram) individual would need 68 x 0.8, or 54 grams of protein each day.
- A 200-pound (91-kilogram) individual would need 91 x 0.8, or 73 grams of protein each day.
Protein accounts for approximately ten percent of daily calories in most cases.
However.
RDAs were created to help avoid malnutrition by defining the minimal quantity of a nutrient we require to be alive (or get sick).
The phrases “you’re not dead” and “you’re kicking ass” are not interchangeable. The RDA for surviving may vary from the RDA for thriving.
In addition, the RDA is a fairly broad guideline. Other factors aren’t taken into consideration, such as:
- How much total energy (calories) we consume or need
- Our carbohydrate consumption
- We consume protein when we eat it.
- Our sex is biological.
- Our age
- What is our level of activity?
- What kind of activities do we engage in?
- How “eco-friendly” are different protein sources?
Individual protein needs, according to the Institute of Medicine (US), vary from 0.375 g/kg to 1.625 g/kg body weight (0.17 to 0.74 g/lb body weight).
In other words, a 150-pound individual may require anything from 26 to 111 grams of protein per day.
Isn’t that a good way to narrow things down!?
Let’s dig a little deeper: Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
Protein is built up of many distinct building components, or amino acids, in our diet.
Most individuals concentrate on the RDA for total protein, but often neglect to consider how much of each amino acid they may need.
You may be getting enough overall protein but not enough of a particular necessary amino acid if your diet isn’t diverse enough.
This is how much of these important amino acids you require every day:
- Histidine 14 mg/kg
- Isoleucine 19 mg/kg
- Leucine (42 mg/kg)
- lysine (38 mg/kg)
- Methionine + cysteine 19 mg/kg
- Phenylalanine + tyrosine, 33 mg/kg
- Threonine 20 mg/kg
- Tryptophan at a dose of 5 mg/kg
- Valine (24 mg/kg)
Of course, you don’t have to spend hours in your kitchen with a lysine eyedropper, meticulously measuring your intake.
Simply consume a variety of protein-rich meals and leave the rest to nature.
What does it mean to eat a high-protein diet?
Many people mistakenly believe that “high protein” equals “low carbohydrate.” In reality, you may increase your protein intake without drastically altering your diet.
High-protein diets may be found in a variety of forms. “High protein” is a relative term; there is no hard and fast rule.
Protein accounts for approximately 15% of total calories consumed by people in the United States.
For healthy individuals, the Institute of Medicine recommends a protein intake of up to 35 percent of total calories.
Most experts agree that when protein accounts for more than 25% of total calories, you’re in “high protein” territory.
Here’s how a high-protein and low-protein diet could appear for a certain meal.
The upper tolerated limit (UL) of something indicates how much of it you can consume without harming your health.
There is currently no defined UL for protein.
Does this imply that you may consume as much protein as you want without suffering any negative consequences? No. It just implies that scientists haven’t worked it out yet.
However, clinical trials have shown that consuming up to 4.4 g/kg (2 g/lb) body weight did not create any short-term health issues.
Let’s take a closer look: Maximum protein calculation
According to the Institute of Medicine, consuming a lot of protein (approximately 35 percent of your calories) is safe.
What does it imply in terms of grams per kilogram (or g/lb) of body weight?
Assume you weigh 74.8 kg (165 lb) and are quite active. To stay in shape, you’ll need approximately 2,475 calories each day.
Protein would account for approximately 866 calories per day if it made up 35 percent of your overall energy consumption.
Protein contains 4 calories per gram. So 217 grams of protein per day comes from 866 calories.
That works out to approximately 1.3 grams per pound of body weight, or 2.9 grams per kilogram.
Is it true that a high-protein diet is bad for me?
People have been worried about the safety of consuming too much protein for years.
Will consuming too much protein cause my kidneys to explode?
How’s it doing with my liver? What happened to my left femur?
The following are the most frequent health problems associated with consuming extra protein:
- renal failure
- injury to the liver
- osteoporosis
- illness of the heart
- cancer
Let’s have a look at them.
Protein overabundance damages the kidneys, according to the claim.
This worry regarding high protein and kidneys arose from a misunderstanding of why physicians advise individuals with impaired kidney function (typically due to pre-existing renal illness) to follow a low-protein diet.
However, there is a significant distinction between avoiding protein because your kidneys have already been damaged and protein actively harming healthy kidneys.
It’s the difference between jogging with a broken leg and running with a completely healthy leg when it comes to jogging.
It’s not a good idea to jog with a fractured leg. If your leg is fractured, doctors will undoubtedly advise you not to jog. Does jogging, on the other hand, induce leg fractures? No.
Protein and kidneys are in the same boat.
Protein consumption increases the amount of work your kidneys have to perform (glomerular filtration rate and creatinine clearance), much as running increases the amount of work your legs have to do.
Protein, on the other hand, hasn’t been proven to induce kidney damage — just as running isn’t likely to break your leg like a twig.
However, since high-protein meals cause more metabolic waste to be expelled in the urine, it’s especially essential to drink enough of water to prevent dehydration.
Conclusion: In healthy individuals, there is no evidence that high protein diets (2.2g/kg body weight) induce kidney injury.
The claim is that a high protein diet damages the liver.
The liver, like the kidneys, is an important organ for processing. As with renal disease, those with liver impairment (such as cirrhosis) are advised to consume less protein.
Yes, if you have liver illness or injury, you should limit your protein intake. However, if your liver is healthy, a high-protein diet will not harm it.
Conclusion: In healthy individuals, there is no evidence that high-protein diets (2.2g/kg body weight) induce liver injury.
Osteoporosis is caused by a high protein diet.
If you increase your protein consumption without simultaneously increasing your fruit and vegetable diet, you’ll lose more calcium in your urine.
Because bone calcium is lost when you consume more protein, some individuals believe that consuming more protein can induce osteoporosis.
However, there is no proof that a high protein diet promotes osteoporosis.
In fact, not getting enough protein has been linked to bone loss. Bones aren’t simply inert mineral sticks; they also include a substantial amount of protein, mainly collagen-type proteins.
Bone, like muscle, is a living tissue that is continuously breaking down and rebuilding. Bone, like muscle, requires Lego construction pieces.
Bone density is greater in women aged 55 to 92 who consume more protein. As a result, increasing protein intake increases bone density in individuals who are most at risk of developing osteoporosis.
(Increased protein intake combined with resistance exercise equals a double victory for bone density.)
Conclusion: High-protein diets do not cause osteoporosis and may even prevent it.
Cancer is caused by a high protein diet, according to the claim.
Unfortunately, human research on the etiology of cancer and the function of protein are still lacking.
There have been studies that looked at how much protein individuals consumed over the course of their lives and how frequently they developed cancer. The study found a link between protein consumption and cancer rates.
These studies, however, are correlational in nature and do not show that protein causes cancer. Furthermore, some experts have said that studies depending on participants to remember what they ate are essentially useless due to the inaccuracy of human memory.
Confounding variables, such as the following, play a large role in the hypothesized cancer-protein link:
- Whether you obtain your protein from plants or animals is a personal choice.
- How do you prepare your protein? (i.e. carbonized grilled meat)
- what kind of protein do you consume? (e.g. grass-fed steak versus a hot dog)
And so on.
To put it another way, we can’t claim that a certain quantity of protein causes cancer.
Conclusion: There is little evidence that protein promotes cancer, and there are many additional complicating variables.
Let’s go a little deeper: Protein and Cancer
Protein and cancer risk were investigated in a 2014 research. It was frequently misconstrued as evidence that eating a high-protein diet causes cancer.
First, there were two studies: one in which individuals were asked questions and followed for years, and another in which mice were given a high-protein diet and had cancer implanted in them.
Researchers looked examined people’s self-reported protein consumption and cancer rates over the next 18 years in the human study.
They discovered that individuals aged 50-65 who ate high-protein diets (20% of total calories) had a 4-fold higher chance of dying of cancer over the following 18 years than those who ate a moderate quantity of protein (10-20 percent of total calories).
(To give you an idea, smoking raises your cancer risk by 20 times.)
Then it becomes even more intriguing, since consuming extra protein reduced cancer risk by more than half in those over 65. In conclusion:
From 50 to 65 years old, eating more protein was linked to a greater risk of cancer mortality, but beyond 65 years old, the link was reversed.
People totally misinterpreted what the research proved in the second half of the study.
The mice were given a high-protein diet (18% of total calories) before malignant cells were implanted. The researchers discovered that a high-protein diet enhanced tumor growth. Protein boosts IGF-1 (an anabolic protein that promotes growth in almost all tissues, including malignant tissue), which is not surprising.
In mice, higher protein diets accelerated cancer development.
While consuming extra protein may cause existing tumors to grow larger (depending on the therapy), this research does not prove that high-protein diets cause cancer.
Heart disease is caused by a high protein diet, according to the claim.
The consumption of animal-based protein on a daily basis is related to a greater risk of deadly coronary heart disease (70 percent for males and 37 percent for women), while plant-based proteins are not.
This indicates that where you obtain your protein, rather than how much you consume, may be more important.
The connection between heart disease and high-protein diets, like cancer, is based on surveys rather than a double-blind randomized trial (the gold standard in research).
There are a lot of variables to consider. Consider the kind of animal — can seafood, for example, create the same problems as red meat?
We don’t have all of the details yet.
Conclusion: There is little evidence that protein promotes heart disease, and protein source is a significant complicating factor.
Let’s dig a little deeper: source of protein
A new research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looks at not just protein consumption, but also where it comes from.
Over 131,000 individuals were polled:
- the amount of protein they consumed; and
- Whether it was derived from animals or plants.
This research took almost 35 years to complete (starting in the 1980s).
What they discovered:
More animal protein consumption was linked to a greater risk of mortality… It was a danger factor if you were also doing anything else.
Such as:
- smoking
- being excessively fat
- not working out
- consuming alcoholic beverages
- high blood pressure in the past
- a lack of whole grains, fiber, and fruits and vegetables in one’s diet
It was shown that eating more plant protein was linked to a reduced chance of dying young.
What exactly does this imply?
At first sight, you may believe that you should consume less animal protein since this research seems to suggest that animal protein is unhealthy.
But there’s more to it than that.
If you’re doing everything else “right,” adding extra animal protein to your diet shouldn’t be an issue.
It’s most likely not just the animal protein, but a variety of lifestyle factors that come with consuming more animal protein.
This research, for example, started in the 1980s. Almost every doctor at the time advised his or her patients to consume less fat and meat, and to avoid eggs.
So, if you were relatively health-conscious, you’d probably be consuming less animal protein than someone who wasn’t (or if you went against your doctor’s recommendation) — but you’d also also be making a lot of other health-promoting choices and activities.
The issue with correlational research is that it’s impossible to know whether the connections are produced by one onto the other or whether they’re just occurring at the same time.
The quality of the protein is important.
Most individuals consider how much protein they should consume, but they don’t consider the quality of the protein they consume.
There are significant variations in the chemical composition of different protein sources, as well as the nutritional value of those proteins. The better the quality of a protein, the easier it is for it to provide your body with the amino acids it needs to grow, repair, and sustain itself.
The following are the two major variables that determine whether a protein is of high or poor quality:
- Digestibility:
- Is it simple to digest?
- How much do you consume — and how much do you absorb and use?
- Composition of amino acids:
- What amino acids does it contain?
A high-quality protein has a healthy balance of necessary amino acids, allowing our bodies to use them efficiently.
Digestibility is less significant than amino acid composition.
You may consume much more protein than you need, but if the protein you consume is deficient in an essential amino acid (known as the limiting amino acid), it creates a bottleneck that prevents everything else from functioning properly (or at least slows things down).
High-quality proteins contain fewer limiting amino acids, reducing the bottleneck and allowing our systems to effectively use that protein source.
Let’s dig a little deeper: calculating the value of protein
Protein quality, or how effectively humans may digest, absorb, and utilize a particular protein, is calculated in a variety of methods by scientists.
Here are a few examples.
Amino Acid Score Corrected for Protein Digestibility (PDCAAS)
The PDCAAS value is computed using a ratio of limiting amino acids and a real digestibility factor to determine how much of a protein is digested.
The higher the score, the better the protein quality.
Although PDCAAS is the current gold standard for evaluating protein quality, the Level 1 Certification program also covers a few alternative protein quality scoring techniques.
Amino acid oxidation indicator (IAAO)
When we don’t have enough of a certain important amino acid, all of the other amino acids, including that necessary one, are oxidized (i.e. basically squandered) instead of being utilized for things like tissue repair.
It’s similar to a team sport in that you can’t play without the goalkeeper, so all the players sit about twiddling their thumbs, despite the fact that they’re all excellent players.
However, if we receive enough of that specific amino acid, we won’t experience as much oxidation. We have a goalkeeper, and the rest of the guys are free to participate.
As a result, you want your IAAO score to be low, suggesting that all of your amino acids are working to rebuild you.
So far, the IAAO technique seems to be a highly helpful tool to assess the metabolic availability of amino acids from various protein-containing meals, as well as to calculate total protein needs for a wide range of individuals.
New evaluation methods such as IAAO are providing us with a more accurate picture of protein consumption, which implies that recommendations may alter in the future.
Based on these new results, the RDA for protein is expected to rise, implying that physicians will advise us to consume more protein.
Proteins that are “complete” and those that are “incomplete”
Scientists used to speak about “complete” and “incomplete” proteins back in the day.
If you followed a plant-based diet (vegetarian or vegan), you were informed that you needed to consume a range of incomplete proteins (protein from a variety of plants) at each meal to fulfill your nutritional requirements.
This is no longer the case.
You’ll receive all of the amino acids you need if you consume a variety of protein sources. There’s no need to do protein math at meals to make sure you’re receiving all of your essential amino acids.
However, many plant-based sources are lower in protein than animal-based ones. As a result, if you don’t consume animal products, you’ll have to work a bit more to obtain enough protein from a range of plant sources to make up the difference and fulfill your protein requirements.
Proteins from animals vs. proteins from plants
It seems that where you obtain your protein is having an increasing effect on your health.
In comparison to low-protein diets and high-protein animal-based diets, eating a high-protein plant-based diet improves health results. Again, the quality of your protein is more important than the amount you consume.
If you’re a strict carnivore, don’t worry; just increase your plant protein intake. It is beneficial to have a diverse population. Today, hug some lentils.
Why would you want to consume more protein?
Protein is required to develop, maintain, and repair our tissues, hormones, and immune system, therefore we may need extra protein at times.
If you’re inactive and not growing or repairing tissue, the normal RDA of 0.8 g/kg is ideal.
However, you may need more protein if you are:
- either via exercises or your employment, you should be physically active.
- if you’re hurt or ill
- protein absorption is abnormal
- if you’re pregnant or nursing
- more youthful (and growing)
- more mature (and potentially losing lean mass)
Diets high in protein may also:
- blood pressure is reduced;
- enhance glycemic control
- cholesterol levels in the blood; and
- enhance other cardiometabolic health markers
It’s a win all around.
Here are some particular situations in which extra protein may be required.
Athletes need protein.
Athletes and active individuals should consume extra protein, but we don’t know how much more they should consume.
The current guidelines range from 1.2 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, a range of 1.4-2.0 g/kg is safe and may aid in workout recovery.
The highest guideline seems to be 2.2 g/kg (1 g/lb of body weight), however this should not be confused with the notion that more than 2.2 g/kg is dangerous.
More may not be required, but there is no evidence that more is inherently dangerous.
Protein to help you age gracefully
You lose lean mass — both muscle and bone — as you grow older. This has an impact on how long you live and how functional and good your life is.
According to new study, most older adults, especially women over 65, need more protein than is currently recommended to prevent muscle loss.
Over 2.0 g/kg of body weight is now recommended for individuals over 65, according to experts.
Muscle-building protein
The more protein you have in your muscles, the larger and stronger they may become.
Bodybuilders have long known that there is a “anabolic window” (24-48 hours) following a workout when muscles are particularly hungry for amino acids.
So, if you want to gain muscle, make sure you consume a protein-rich meal soon after your workout. Some experienced athletes choose to supplement with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) or essential amino acids (EAAs) during or after a workout.
When compared to plant-based protein, it seems that a fast-digesting animal protein supplement (whey) is superior at encouraging your body to build more muscle (soy). You may, of course, just eat “real food” after working out.
Protein may help you lose weight.
Protein consumption aids fat loss for a variety of reasons.
1. Eating extra protein makes you feel satisfied for longer.
In the gut, protein causes the release of satiety (stop-eating) hormones. As a result, when you consume protein, you naturally eat less and don’t feel hungry.
(If you wish, you may put this hypothesis to the test.) Try eating a whole skinless chicken or several pounds of lean seafood.)
2. Protein requires your body to work hard in order to digest it.
It takes different amounts of energy to absorb different nutrients. Your body can easily eat and absorb fat and carbs, but protein requires more work to breakdown and absorb.
You will only utilize approximately 70 calories of protein if you consume 100 calories. (It’s because of this thermic, or heat-producing, action of protein that you experience the “meat sweats” after a large protein-heavy meal.) 3. Protein helps you maintain lean muscle mass while reducing weight.
When you have a large energy deficit (i.e., you eat less than you burn), your body will try to get rid of everything — fat, muscle, bone, hormones, and so on — anything you don’t need. It doesn’t seem to burn fat while keeping muscle… unless you consume a lot of protein.
Let’s dig a little deeper: Restriction of protein, lean mass, and energy
A new research out of McMaster University in Canada looked at what would happen if individuals ate a very low-calorie diet (approximately 40% less than their usual energy requirements), ate a lot of protein, and exercised vigorously.
A group of young men in their 20s were essentially starved for four weeks while eating a high-protein diet of approximately 2.4 g/kg.
For example, a 200 pound (91 kg) moderately active young guy with daily energy requirements of 3000 calories could receive:
- a daily calorie intake of 1800 (40 percent less than normal)
- A daily protein intake of 218 grams is recommended (2.4 x 91 kg)
This implies that protein accounted for approximately 48% of the 1800 calories consumed each day.
The guys worked out six days a week, lifting weights and performing high-intensity intervals.
On average, after 4 weeks:
- The males gained 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds) of lean body mass (LBM).
- They shed 4.8 kilograms (10.5 pounds) of fat.
The fact that they dropped weight isn’t unexpected, but the quantity of fat they shed in only four weeks is remarkable.
The fact that they acquired LBM is unexpected.
A control group ate a higher-protein, lower-energy diet, averaging approximately 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram (about 109 grams per day for our 200-pound, 91-kilogram guy). On average, this group:
- LBM increased by 0.1 kg (0.2 lb).
- 3.5 kg (7.7 lb) of fat was lost.
This research was just 4 weeks long and focused on a single demographic group under strict monitoring, but it’s an interesting experiment that shows protein can do some interesting things even under tough and demanding circumstances.
Because it’s a randomized controlled study, it’s very helpful. In other words, it’s not a food questionnaire in which you attempt to recall what you ate the previous year; instead, it’s a direct comparison of two comparable groups whose dietary characteristics are carefully tracked.
We don’t advocate a Spartan-style exercise regimen coupled with a very restricted, high-protein diet as a long-term approach, but if you want to try something insane for four weeks, see if you can duplicate these results!
Why would you want to consume LESS protein?
Longevity and protein
From 17th-century scientists to Monty Python, everyone is searching for the elixir of life.
And it’s been shown for years that living in a semi-starvation condition extends the longevity of almost every species, from flatworms to rats to humans.
Looking into it more, it seems that protein restriction, rather than calorie restriction, is the key to lifespan.
Protein is anabolic: It triggers your body to build more tissues and other body bits. This is great if you want to build muscle, but there’s seems to be a downside: Eating protein triggers the body to release and make more IGF-1. In some people, this decreases longevity.
There’s a lot of research in animals (mainly flatworms, rats, and mice) and some in humans on reduced IGF-1 and longer longevity.
But it’s not as simple as stating that less protein equals less IGF-1, which equals longer life. There’s a genetic element to it. Some individuals respond better to higher levels of IGF-1. More IGF-1 later in life increases longevity in their instance.
A greater protein consumption is probably still superior in terms of quality of life and functional lifespan. A body that is semi-starved may live longer… but not necessarily better.
Muscle loss due to aging may have significant implications for metabolic health and mobility.
So, despite intriguing statistics, it’s impossible to tell if this is a good idea. To be sure, we’ll need to do additional study.
What does this mean to you?
If you’re simply a “normal” person who wants to be healthy and fit:
- Eat extra protein if you’re over 65. This aids in the prevention of age-related muscle loss, which benefits long-term health and quality of life.
- If you follow a plant-based diet, be sure to schedule your meals ahead of time. You’ll have to work a bit harder to obtain adequate protein without animal products. To assist yourself out, try adding a plant-based protein powder.
If you’re a sportsperson, you should:
- Follow our PN portion guidelines. Every meal should include a serving of lean protein to maintain that protein pool filled and ready to assist your body repair and rebuild. If you are very active, you may need more.
- Increase your protein intake while you workout. Protein may help your body respond better to exercise if you eat it before and after you exercise. Whey protein is one of the finest choices if you can handle it. Alternatively, stick to actual food.
- Increase the amount of plant-based protein in your diet. It’s better if there are a lot of them.
If you’re a personal trainer or nutritionist, here’s what you should do.
- With your assistance, help individuals comprehend as much as they need to know in order to make an educated decision. Your customers will almost certainly have queries. Prepare your responses ahead of time.
- As required, make a referral. If you suspect a customer has a medical problem, consult with their doctor to make sure they don’t have renal or liver problems, in which case a high-protein diet should be avoided.
References
To see the information sources mentioned in this article, go here.
Energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids dietary reference intakes. Proteins and Amino Acids (Chapter 10) (pp 589-768). National Academies Press, 2005.
J. Antonio, A. Ellerbroek, T. Silver, S. Orris, M. Scheiner, A. Gonzalez, and C. A. Peacock. A follow-up study found that a high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) coupled with a rigorous resistance exercise program improves body composition in healthy trained men and women. 2015 Oct 20;12:39. J Int Soc Sports Nutr.
J. Antonio, A. Ellerbroek, T. Silver, L. Vargas, and C. Peacock. A crossover study in resistance-trained men looked at the impact of a high-protein diet on health and body composition markers. 2016 Jan 16;13:3. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2016 Jan 16;13:3.
Elango R., Arentson-Lantz E., Clairmont S., Paddon-Jones D., Tremblay A. Protein is a nutrition that is being highlighted. Nutr Metab Appl Physiol. 40(8):755-61, August 2015.
Protein Consumption in the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake? Baum JI, Kim IY, Wolfe RR. The journal Nutrients published an article on June 8th, 2016 with the title Nutrients (6). E359 (pii)
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Protein is a nutrient that’s essential to good health. It’s involved in everything from keeping your skin smooth to repairing damaged muscle after a hard workout. A high protein diet is widely promoted as the key to losing fat and building muscle, but there are questions about the safety and effectiveness of this macronutrient.. Read more about high-protein diet menu and let us know what you think.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a high protein diet affect human health?
A high protein diet is good for your health. It helps to build muscle and maintain a healthy weight.
What happens if I eat too much protein?
If you eat too much protein, your body will start to produce ammonia. This can cause a number of health problems, including brain damage and death.
Can taking protein cause health problems?
Yes, taking protein can cause health problems.
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