15h ago

What is the actual amount of protein I need to function properly in life?

This is Harvard Health Publishing, they say I need about 0.8 grams of protein everyday, now, that means I would have to consume about 70 grams of protein everyday (minimum) to stay healthy, now, I live in India and don't consume that much, but I consider myself pretty healthy.

So, what's the amount one should realistically be aiming towards? If I were to take 70 grams of protein everyday, what measurable changes can I expect in my life🤔?

22 comments

This is a good question but you're going to get a wild range of information because of a number of factors.
That number is a good starting point but it's likely low especially if you're physically active or using a vegan/vegetarian source.
Also, something one must keep in mind is that the vast majority of research in the field is built on the fundamental assumption carbs should be the largest part of the diet which is likely wrong as the body seems to run better the less sugar you give it.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE8LmUoWei5Qp5Nz7C4FMNs6hGNx7M3Jg

If your recommend protein intake is 70 grams per day (meaning you weigh about 195 pounds / 87 kg) and you’re only getting 20 grams per day, then you are likely already experiencing health issues.
From https://www.verywellhealth.com/protein-deficiency-symptoms-8756264 you could expect to experience:
Weakness and fatigue, meaning you’ll feel exhausted - mentally, physically, or both
Skin, Hair, and Nail Problems
Mood changes, including the development of mood disorders, such as depression
Compromised immune system
Slowed wound healing
Decline in bone strength
Fatty liver
Weight loss due to your muscles and organs being broken down - but my understanding is this is mostly relevant if your overall caloric intake is quite low (starvation levels)
Weight gain due to fluid retention or increased hunger
Not all of those are immediately noticeable.
However, I’m with the other commenter who said that they think it’s likely that you’re under-estimating your daily protein intake. What method did you use for tracking and calculating it?
- Also, thanks for the detailed answer!
- I have a very monotonous food that I am fed, so, I just calculated how much protein I am getting from it and it turned out to be no more than 20 grams average per day. Boy, I need to add more proteins to my diet, can protein powders be digested by the body well or should I look for natural sources of protein?

Best AskLemmy question I've seen in years
- Hehe... Thank you!

It depends on your activity levels, metabolism, age etc. in general that amount of protein (assuming your diet is consistent) will keep your muscle mass constant and keep your brain functioning well (and other bodily functions - it’s not siloed in its purpose and basically impacts every aspect of your body’s functions . Your body’s processes are not solely reliant on protein but if you don’t have enough your neurotransmission and cognitive function will suffer. If you consume less protein than your base amount for a prolonged time, your body doesn’t have what it needs to maintain core functions and renew and maintain muscle mass. If you don’t consume enough calories overall you’ll find your body will consume its own muscles as a source of energy which is a dangerous metabolic process that can have lasting detrimental effects.
Basically over a short term or one day in a while, not consuming enough protein shouldn’t be an issue, but on a consistent or prolonged timeline, your body just doesn’t have what it needs to maintain itself and you are at risk of longer term impacts to your wellbeing in many facets of your basic bodily functions. I’ve read numbers like .75g per kg for women and .84g per kg for men daily, for basic maintenance of bodily condition. Obviously it isn’t One size fits All, but as a general jumping off point I think that’s a reasonable ballpark. Basically if you’re healthy, and assuming all other things being equal, those amounts should maintain your current state.
- I started tracking what I eat some days ago and hadn't had a single day I got even near that level. And since the only change was that I increased my protein, I probably didn't met that level for some time now. But I feel very good.
  
  Just to double check, you weigh around ~87kg? For that weight I’d guess you’re eating 2500kcal/day+ right?
  And you’re counting protein from all sources, not just meat or meat equivalents? Eating some yogurt, lentils, beans, etc all of that protein content can add up pretty quickly but you might not be counting it.
  As a final note, they recommend that for healthy but that doesn’t mean you can’t be healthy without it. But you could consider adding a little bit of high protein sources (chicken, tofu, etc) to your diet to hit closer to that goal and see if it makes a difference for you.

https://www.dietdoctor.com/food-policy/protein
2g per kg ideal body weight, look at citation 5 for references
Not all sources of protein are the same, you need ALL the essential amino acids to actually be able to use protein. Most food protein is based on a nitrogen estimate and not measured amino acids!!! (This is called crude protein)
A good way to see what food are bioavailable protein is to reference it's DIAAS score.
https://www.diaas-calculator.com/
If you eat your daily target of protein but it's missing amino acids, your body can't use it, and you haven't actually eaten your target protein.
You could also use a tool like cronometer to map out your food and amino acids as well
- That diet doctor recommendation feels wildly high for a "what is actually necessary" request. Like 2 g/kg is near the target for bodybuilders.
  It might be a good idea for many people to hit that to maximize muscle development in preparation for aging (where muscle deterioration is chief concern), but not a good estimate for anyone who isnt worried about that.
  They also say two further things which ding their credibility:
  First is this comment: "Because there appears to be a limited amount of protein that can be absorbed at a meal, it may be best to evenly space out your protein throughout the day, if possible."
  This is not really a concern even for bodybuilders. You dont need to overthink spacing.
  Second is the comment about vegetarians/vegans. Protein intake is not a huge concern for the average vegetarian, if you are not aiming for that unnecessarily high target - as long as they are regularly including some protein in their meals (soy, beans, nuts, eggs). Even for non-vegetarians, that higher target requires you to monitor of your protein intake to hit it regularly with overeating.
  
  Like 2 g/kg is near the target for bodybuilders.
  Big difference between body builders and normal people is that the advice is for ideal body weight, where bodybuilders consume per current bodyweight. The advice has to be high to account for the highly variable metabolism, and diets of the general population. Some people simply don't eat bioavailable complete proteins, at all.
  “Because there appears to be a limited amount of protein that can be absorbed at a meal, it may be best to evenly space out your protein throughout the day, if possible.”
  Here is there reference for that advice: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3197704/ Moderating the portion size of a protein-rich meal improves anabolic efficiency in young and elderly - Randomized Trial; Moderate evidence.
  Second is the comment about vegetarians/vegans.
  Here is their reference for that advice: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5521049/ Determination of the protein quality of cooked Canadian pulses - [mechanistic study; ungraded]
  Although the quality of protein in different legumes varies, many appear to be about 20-50% less digestible than animal protein
  They cited references and papers for each of their comments, which improves their credibility. I would have liked them to mention DIAAS scores, for completeness, rather then referring to a paper on pulses, but that doesn't remove from their advice.

if you eat the recommended amount of protein (and a little extra as a buffer) then you would not notice any particularly striking change, but statistically your quality of life will improve for myriad subtle reasons. Hormone production will be more stable, you will be less likely to get diseases associated with protein deficiency, you will build muscle slightly more easily, your brain will technically function slightly better in subtle metabolic ways, as with all your other organs. etc. You will likely, not notice any of it. But across your life it will statistically make a difference in your health outcomes. this is true of all phytonutrients, not just protein.

Im going to say the Harvard estimate is probably pretty close. It is probably a bit higher than what you would need on a day to day basis for survival, but enough to help your body maintain some muscle over the long term.
Its not enough for someone wanting to be fit or muscular though.

Proteins don't necessarily just mean meats etc. Most vegetables and grains have protein in them that is contributing towards your daily requirements.
- I eat a pretty low protein diet, max to max I might get 20 grams (did that math), still I am not facing any major effects I feel
  
  You might be underestimating the amount of protein you're getting. Urad dal has 25g of protein per 100g serving. Chickpeas are similar (19/20g per 100g serving). Red lentils are like, 10g per 100g serving. I "need" about 70g of protein; some days I'll get that other days not so much but the average is probably about right.
  I don't track macros though.
  I eat vegetarian and it's never been an issue, though to be fair in western diets we're generally over-proteined.

The rule of thumb I remember using is the portion size of a pack of cards, now also remember that you can get proteins from other sources as well Some are complete proteins & some you need other ingredients to complete.

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