Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the human body, making up about 16 percent of our total body weight. Our bodies cannot produce these proteins so it is important for us to include enough protein in our diet. The question is, how much? Getting enough protein helps your body meet the demands of daily living. And studies show, you probably need more if you are working to build muscle, if you're dieting and as you age. When protein intake is out of whack, it undermines energy, exercise performance and overall health. New research has even found that a protein-rich diet helps to maximize fat loss while minimizing loss of lean body mass.
An easy way to estimate your daily protein needs is to divide your current weight in half. The number you get is the amount of protein (in grams) that you should be eating daily. For instance, if you weigh 110 pounds, you should be eating 55 grams of protein each day. If you weigh 200 pounds, then 100 grams per day is sufficient.
Is it OK to eat a lot more protein than the minimum recommendations?
This is the crucial question for people on diets that are higher in protein than usual, as low-carb diets tend to be. In a review of the research, the National Academy of Sciences reported that the only known danger from high-protein diets is for individuals with kidney disease. After careful study, they recommend that 10 percent to 35 percent of daily calories come from protein. They point out that increased protein could be helpful in treating obesity. There is also accumulating evidence that extra protein may help prevent osteoporosis.
Extra protein can be broken down into glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. On low carb diets, this happens continually. One benefit of obtaining glucose from protein is that it is absorbed into the bloodstream very slowly, so it doesn’t cause a rapid blood sugar increase.
What foods have the most protein?
Of course when watching calories, it is important to make sure we eat lean proteins. Foods such as lean meats, fish, eggs, low fat dairy products, legumes, and nuts all have substantial amounts of protein. Herbal Protein powders in the form of shakes are also a great source of low-fat protein.
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