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🤔?
Too much protein can fuck up your sleeping schedule. Especially if it’s lean protein with little fat. Happened to me when I was eating too many chili cheese smoked sausages all the time because I was lazy. They’re delicious though.
I don’t mean to pry but sausage in general, especially seemingly chili cheese sausage, has an incredible amount of fat (that is not to say the fat is bad, subtypes and fatty acid chain length are important to note), wouldn’t this be counter to your point? Unless the chili cheese smoked sausages are some Franken-Sausage (lol) that is super lean.
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
That’s a great lecture, thanks for sharing
People dont always calculate their total protein intake correctly, because things like wheat (12% protein) and rice and potatoes (3%) have protein although thought of as carbs. Studies say 50g of protein per day is ok, but some people say more is better, particularly if trying to build muscle mass etc
Do you eat enough in general (eg 3 meals a day, you don’t feel hungry most of the time)? It’s not hard to meet the basic nutritional goals by just eating what you want when you want. Protein is in everything so it’d be quite hard to be significantly deficient if you’re not starving.
People get a significant amount of their protein intake from sources that aren’t usually considered “proteins”. Lentils (and mung beans if you don’t think of them as lentils), wheat, rice etc all have significant amounts of protein (especially lentils). Yogurt and cheese has lots of it too. Not sure what part of India you’re in or what sort of food you’re mostly eating but my guess is you’re getting more protein than you realize.
If u wanna build muscle eat at least 1g per pound of body weight (or 2.2 per kg).
Make sure ur getting enough carbs and fat too though, they’re equally important.
Make sure ur getting enough carbs
What do the carbs do for body builders? Force anabolism?
Carbs are the basic molecules used in your energy metabolism (i.e. almost everything gets converted into glucose through one pathway or another).
If you’d try to meet your calorie requirements with a high protein intake you’d just put unnecessary strain on your kidneys and I don’t think you’d enjoy your food as much (don’t get me started on keto people)(don’t get me started on keto people)
Please! I want to know more
There are specific medical conditions where a ketogenic diet has shown some promise, but for the most part it’s not great for you. Essentially you needv blood sugars, and converting them from protein or fat takes a higher toll on your body than converting them from carbs. It barely counts as converting, a complex carb is really just a chain of sugars
The body eats up muscle as the first response to being deprived of substance.
I havent seen the research showing that the body eats muscle when not consuming carbs.
Best AskLemmy question I’ve seen in years
I mean, you have your answer right there. It’s not like Harvard is a particularly untrustworthy source for diet recommendations.
Why are you doubting the number? If you feel fine and don’t want to change, don’t. Everybody is different and has different needs, and you might just need less, but anyone reputable is going to give the same rough range.
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.
The recommended amount contains a buffer. No need to add your own buffer as well
