Protein Sources and Your Recommended Intake

Trying to increase raw foods in your diet or being on a vegetarian diet most people question how these diets can supply us with enough protein. But before we can judge and discriminate these diets due to these questions we need to have a look closer at what protein is and how our body can acquire its proteins... (sourced from Jennifer Murray)

                               

What is Protein?

Protein is a combination of amino acids, some of which need to be eaten in your food (essential amino acids) and some of which your body makes on its own (nonessential amino acids). The term 'complete protein' refers to a protein that has all nine essential amino acids in good proportion to the bodies needs. Proteins from animals are complete since the animal already made the effort to combine the amino acids for it's own body. Animal protein is also referred to as complex protein and has traditionally been thought to be superior to plant protein (keep reading to find out what new research says) which generally comes from combining various plants to accumulate all the essential amino acids in proper measure. The body then uses the amino acids to form complete proteins itself.

What Does Your Body Do With Protein?

The list of projects on the body's daily to-do list is unfathomable and none of it is possible without protein. Proteins become hormones, enzymes, antibodies, muscles, even the lens of your eye is made of protein. Proteins transport oxygen and contract your muscles. But the most important of it's exhaustive list of tasks is the building, maintaining and replacing of bodily tissue.

Can I Get Enough Protein on a Raw Food Diet?

More research needs to be done but there are a few new prominent theories out there about this big question of protein consumption and studies change the answer to this question each year. It is believed that the amount of protein that has been recommended in the past is higher, if not much higher, than is actually necessary. In fact, it is even being suggested that the mere act of eating animal proteins results in the body needing more protein!

Vegans who eat a variety of plants, including soy products, are sure to get plenty of protein, but what about vegan raw foodists? There is more and more information being revealed that there is an adequate, if not abundant, supply of protein even in a diet this devoid of animal proteins. It is further suggested through this research that the body prefers that the protein actually come in incomplete form (as individual amino acids) so that it can do it's job of combining them in the best possible way for it's various purposes. When the body receives complete or complex proteins it has to rip the amino acids apart and reassemble them accordingly. Amino acids from plant sources allow the body to skip that process and go right to the end game.

Good Sources of Plant Proteins for a Raw Food Diet

Everything has protein in it, so the effect of eating a variety of foods is the accumulation of all the essential amino acids. Nuts and seeds have a lot of protein compared to fruits and vegetables but a lot of raw food diet advocates tout green leafy vegetables as a good source of protein. By using a variety of greens (in great abundance I might add, up to one pound per day!) the body receives all the essential amino acids that it needs while also getting many other minerals, plenty of chlorophyll and lots of fiber.

                                

How to Figure it All Out?

It is impossible to know everything about nutrition and retaining the information is another challenge entirely. But some of the most basic facts are rather crucial to helping you make good nutrition choices on a daily basis. In the beginning of any major diet change you'll need to be more observant and calculating than usual. Over time, the formula for healthy living becomes routine and you won't need to do so much math. As your tastes change and embrace your new lifestyle, it will be easier and more fulfilling to eat in a way that ultimately pleases your body and all it's trillion cells.

So how much protein do we need to consume?

Most experts believe that most people get more than enough protein daily. In fact, some believe the average sedentary person eats about 50% more than the recommended daily amount, which ranges from 40-70 grams each day depending on your gender, age, body weight, age, physical activity, health condition, environment etc. Generally, protein intake should be in equilibrium with protein loss. Protein is lost in urine, feces, blood, sweat, skin, nails, hair etc. When protein intake is less than protein lost, it is called negative protein balance, whereas when it is the reverse it is called positive protein balance. Ideally, for normal adults a neutral protein balance should be attained.

Growing kids and pregnant and lactating women require more protein per unit weight than adults in normal condition and therefore they should be in positive protein balance. Growing kids and pregnant women actively gain muscle, bones, flesh and blood, and since for every cell in these tissues protein is a requirement, the recommended daily protein allowance is higher. Other conditions in which daily positive protein balance is needed include recovery stage after illness and when there is increased secretion of insulin, growth hormone, and testosterone.

As a general guideline, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.

Table: Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): daily recommended intakes of protein for individuals. (Source: Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine)

Age, gender, life stage group	Protein DRI (grams/day)
Infants
0–6 mo	9.1
7–12 mo	13.5
Children
1–3 years	13
4–8 years	19
Adult Men
9–13 years	34
14–18 years	52
19–30 years	56
31–50 years	56
51–70years	56
> 70 years	56
Adult Women
9–13 years	34
14–18 years	46
19–30 years	46 - Me :)
31–50 years	46
51–70years	46
> 70 years	46
Pregnant Women
14–18 years	71
19–30 years	71
31–50 years	71
Lactating Women
14–18 years	71
19–30 years	71
31–50 years	71

Note: Daily Reference Intakes (DRIs) have been developed, since 1996 by the Food and Nutrition Board, Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council, to replace the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs).

If you're an exerciser, however, your protein needs may increase since resistance training and endurance workouts can rapidly break down muscle protein. A position statement published by the ADA, DOC and ACSM recommends that endurance and strength-trained athletes have between 1.2 and 1.7 g/kg of protein for the best performance and health.

What if you're trying to build more muscle? Shouldn't you eat even more protein? Not necessarily. There's evidence that bodybuilders, much like exercisers or athletes, do require more protein but that any more than double the RDA won't necessarily help you build more muscle. In one study, experts studied three groups of weight lifters: A low protein group (0.86 g/kg), a moderate protein group (1.40 g/kg) and a high protein group (2.40 g/kg) and found that, "There were no effects of varying protein intake on indexes of lean body mass."

In essence, the more you exercise, the greater your protein needs will be. However, taking it too far, for example more than doubling your protein intake, won't necessarily help you build more muscle.

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Therefore as a rough guide, i am 50 kg and trying to build more muscle so 50 x 1.5 (as above) = 75 grams of protein needed a day. If i was not exercising i would require 50 x 0.8 = 40 grams a day.

Calculating Protein as a Percentage of Total Calories

Another way to calculate how much protein you need is by using daily calorie intake and the percentage of calories that will come from protein. To do this, you'll need to know how many calories your body needs each day. First, find out what your Basal Metabolic Rate is by using a BMR calculator.

My BMR for 155cm, 50kg and age 22 years is 1327 calories a day for normal functioning of my body.  

Taking into account 3-5 days of moderate strenuous exercise or somewhat aggressive sports a week raises this to 1858 calories a day to maintain my current weight.

After you've figured out your maintenance calories, next figure out what percentage of your diet will come from protein. The percentage you choose will be based on your goals, fitness level, age, body type and metabolic rate. Most experts recommend that your protein intake be somewhere between 15 and 30%. When you've determined your desired percentage of protein, multiply that percentage by the total number of calories for the day.

Therefore for 20% protein this will be 0.2 x 1858 = 371 calories from protein. 

1 gram of protein = 4 calories, therefore 371/4 = 93 grams of protein needed a day! A more accurate calculation.

No matter what your calculations are, remember that there are no magic foods or supplements that can replace the right training and the right diet. The foundation of any program, whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, is a combination of strength training and a healthy diet that includes carbs, with a balance of protein and fat.