How Much Should Protein Intake Be?

Protein-weighted diets have become extremely popular in recent days. So how much should protein intake be? Is excess protein harmful? Here are all the details …

Protein, which is one of the building blocks of the body, has become more and more curious with the introduction of protein-weighted diets in recent years. Such diets arose on the need to treat certain diseases. However, many important details such as the amount of daily protein consumption and the concept of healthy protein should not be missed.

Pay Attention to the Amount of Protein Consumption

The protein that needs to be taken daily needs to show a balanced distribution according to the number of meals consumed during the day. Therefore, it is important to try to consume protein at every meal. The World Health Organization calculates the daily protein requirement in healthy individuals to be roughly 0.8–1 grams per kilo. So for a person weighing 70kg, the daily protein need needs to be an average of 56-70 grams. This coefficient applies to people who lead a healthy and still life. This rate may vary depending on the person’s weight and lifestyle. For example, while the amount of protein to be taken daily may increase in athletes, this amount needs to be limited in some diseases. Therefore, daily protein requirement varies according to factors such as age, body muscle ratio, physiological status and physical activity.

Gender is not a Determinant of Protein Need

The need for protein increases in women during pregnancy and lactation. In childhood it is relatively slightly more than in adulthood. However, it does not only make a difference in terms of gender, protein requirement. However, men usually need more because of the high muscle ratio. For those who do sports, the need is related to the sport and the duration of the sport. We said 0.8 grams per kilo for protein needs in normal individuals, but this may be 1.2-1.4 g per kilo in individuals doing endurance sports. In athletes who perform resistance exercises, it can be 1.7 – 1.8 grams per kilo. However, these coefficients are the amounts determined for the athletes who train between 1.5 and 3 hours per day.

Protein Supplementation Does not Provide Additional Gains in Strength and Muscle Mass

Athletes also need to obtain their protein needs primarily from nutrients. However, protein supplements provide a convenient way to provide athletes with quality protein in their diet and to meet their protein needs. But, there is no positive effect on the strength and muscle mass gain by taking additional protein beyond those required to meet the protein requirement.

Excess Protein is Also Stored as Fat

Diets such as the Atkins diet, the protein diet and the ketogenic diet are very high in protein and fat, and the carbohydrate content has been reduced. It is actually used in the treatment of some diseases and emerges upon the need. Many people think that such diets can help control body weight by affecting mechanisms that increase satiety. The rationale for using high-protein diets is that these diets provide longer satiety compared to carbohydrates and fats, and consequently reduce energy intake in the long term. However, such diets are used in the treatment of some diseases and have emerged upon need. We often see a false perception in patients that “the more protein I consume, the more muscle I gain.” However, contrary to popular belief, protein is not stored in the body like carbohydrates and fats and when it is consumed too much, it is converted to fat and stored as fat. Therefore, as in every food group, it is necessary to get enough protein into the body.

Vegetable Proteins or Animal Proteins?

One of the most valuable sources of protein is the egg. Some vegetable-derived foods can be consumed more than necessary, depending on popular diets, due to the high protein content. However, the bioavailability of the foods consumed at this point is also very important. So we’re fooled into popular diet trends and look at things unilaterally. The most important part of nutrition is the balance of all kinds of food should be taken in an adequate and balanced manner without being forgotten.

Healthy Protein Sources

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Except for 8 kinds of amino acids, others are synthesized in the body. However, 8 types of amino acids cannot be synthesized in the body and must be taken by external nutrition. Some foods contain all 8 amino acids and are called whole protein or quality protein. Whole proteins are animal-derived proteins such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, while some plant products can be considered as whole proteins. Examples of these are quinoa and lineage.

Generally, vegetable proteins do not contain all 8 kinds of amino acids that are not produced in the body, such as animal proteins, they are often incomplete or inadequate. These vegetable proteins; dried beans(peas, beans, chickpeas, börülce, lentils, such as), oilseeds (almonds, nuts, pumpkin seeds, such as), corn, wheat, grains such as oats can be shown as an example. Vegetable and animal proteins should be consumed together in a healthy diet.