What are Daily Protein Requirements?
admin | Apr 30, 2009 | 0 comments
Rebecca Shelly asked:
You need adequate protein intake to keep your metabolism running high, to manage your weight, to build or maintain muscle strength and if you are dieting, to control hunger. When you eat enough protein your metabolism revs up along with helping to build muscle, so you can start to burn more calories all day long. Protein helps your body break down food, determines how food is absorbed, and is involved in pretty much every metabolic function within your body.
What are the daily protein requirements? Doctors and FDA recommend much less than what dieters who exercise actually need. They suggest one gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight; that’s less than a half-gram of protein per pound of body weight! Another method is to take your body weight and divide by two, but people losing weight and trying to maintain or build more muscle to get their metabolism raised to burn fat should follow the rule of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. It seems pretty easy, but not as easy to get the protein every day without getting too much saturated fat with it.
Here are some protein figures;
Beef is generally 7 grams of protein per ounce, chicken breast 30 grams in 3.5 ounces, Tuna 40 grams per 6 oz can, fish fillets usually have 22 grams in 3.5 oz, and eggs are 6 grams of protein each. Cottage cheese is 15 grams in a ½ cup, most beans are 7 to 10 grams per ½ cup, tofu is 20 grams of protein in a 1/2 cup and almonds are 8 grams in a 1/4 cup.
Even if you had the highest daily protein requirements for breakfast, lunch and dinner, say about 25 to 30 grams of protein, you would still be lacking your protein requirement for the day. That’s where protein shakes come to the rescue; protein shakes can curb your appetite before you eat, plus the added protein will help your metabolism get in gear. A quality protein drink can supply 15 to 20 grams per scoop; so, a two scoop drink would be 40 grams of protein which is as much protein as a whole can of tuna. If you had one small protein drink before breakfast, lunch or dinner, or had two drinks in between meals you would add another 80 to 120 grams. This is the kind of daily protein requirement you need to build and maintain muscles and get rid of the fat. If you don’t get enough protein while slimming down you will lose your muscle tone and your skin does not look so good either! Protein helps your skin stay firmer and your muscles toned. You simply can not build muscle tone without protein.
Beside people dieting and exercising, older adults usually need much more daily protein requirements than they are receiving. Also people that are overweight and people with insulin resistance might need to adjust their protein intake. If you have kidney or liver diseases check with your doctor before increasing your protein. Also, don’t rely only on protein drinks; you need other sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
You need adequate protein intake to keep your metabolism running high, to manage your weight, to build or maintain muscle strength and if you are dieting, to control hunger. When you eat enough protein your metabolism revs up along with helping to build muscle, so you can start to burn more calories all day long. Protein helps your body break down food, determines how food is absorbed, and is involved in pretty much every metabolic function within your body.
What are the daily protein requirements? Doctors and FDA recommend much less than what dieters who exercise actually need. They suggest one gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight; that’s less than a half-gram of protein per pound of body weight! Another method is to take your body weight and divide by two, but people losing weight and trying to maintain or build more muscle to get their metabolism raised to burn fat should follow the rule of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. It seems pretty easy, but not as easy to get the protein every day without getting too much saturated fat with it.
Here are some protein figures;
Beef is generally 7 grams of protein per ounce, chicken breast 30 grams in 3.5 ounces, Tuna 40 grams per 6 oz can, fish fillets usually have 22 grams in 3.5 oz, and eggs are 6 grams of protein each. Cottage cheese is 15 grams in a ½ cup, most beans are 7 to 10 grams per ½ cup, tofu is 20 grams of protein in a 1/2 cup and almonds are 8 grams in a 1/4 cup.
Even if you had the highest daily protein requirements for breakfast, lunch and dinner, say about 25 to 30 grams of protein, you would still be lacking your protein requirement for the day. That’s where protein shakes come to the rescue; protein shakes can curb your appetite before you eat, plus the added protein will help your metabolism get in gear. A quality protein drink can supply 15 to 20 grams per scoop; so, a two scoop drink would be 40 grams of protein which is as much protein as a whole can of tuna. If you had one small protein drink before breakfast, lunch or dinner, or had two drinks in between meals you would add another 80 to 120 grams. This is the kind of daily protein requirement you need to build and maintain muscles and get rid of the fat. If you don’t get enough protein while slimming down you will lose your muscle tone and your skin does not look so good either! Protein helps your skin stay firmer and your muscles toned. You simply can not build muscle tone without protein.
Beside people dieting and exercising, older adults usually need much more daily protein requirements than they are receiving. Also people that are overweight and people with insulin resistance might need to adjust their protein intake. If you have kidney or liver diseases check with your doctor before increasing your protein. Also, don’t rely only on protein drinks; you need other sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Filed Under: Supplements
