Lots About Protein

One of the big protein myths is that people get more than enough protein. It's true, we get enough protein to prevent deficiencies, which means we exceed the Recommended Daily Value (RDA), but that doesn't mean we hit the optimum amount of protein to keep us healthy. The RDA for protein is .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but there is no recommended amount of protein for optimal function.

Functions of Protein:

• Provides energy to the muscle, liver, and brain
• Forms and provides strength to body tissues
• Facilitates chemical reactions as enzymes
• Regulate body processes as hormones
• Maintains fluid and acid-base balance
• Transports vitamins, minerals, fats, and oxygen throughout the body
• Protects the body from disease
• Enhances growth and repair
• Promotes satiety

The American Journal of Nutrition made some recommendations for protein intake. To build strength, it is recommended for athletes to get 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, with protein consumed within 30 minutes of a workout increasing muscle synthesis. This amount per day, combined with overall calorie restriction improved body composition and increased weight loss in obese patients. For the elderly to maintain lean mass, 1.14 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is needed, even as few calories overall are consumed.

Increased protein in the diet helped prevent obesity, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and sarcopenia. It should be consumed at each meal, because you can't absorb a whole ton of protein at once. The Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care recommends about 30 grams of protein per meal.

Want to know more about the different kinds of supplemental protein? Click here.