{"id":7772,"date":"2016-12-05T15:45:05","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T20:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brain-bodyhealth.com\/?p=7772"},"modified":"2019-03-06T13:22:51","modified_gmt":"2019-03-06T18:22:51","slug":"much-protein-diet-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brain-bodyhealth.com\/much-protein-diet-enough\/","title":{"rendered":"How much protein in your diet is enough?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you been told you need more protein?<\/p>\n

Have you wondered if you are eating enough of it?<\/p>\n

The supplement industry, magazines, websites, trainers, and athletes (1-2)<\/sup> heavily promote high protein diets. But these popular opinions do not necessarily match up with the recommendations by scientists.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s do some math together.<\/p>\n

How much protein do we need?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8g of protein per kg bodyweight per day. (2-3)<\/sup> Supposedly, this is \u201cthe average daily intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement for nearly all (98%) healthy individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n

To make it simple, <\/strong><\/p>\n

your weight (lbs) \/ 2.2 x 0.8 = how much protein you need a day<\/strong><\/p>\n

For an average American male who weighs 195 lbs (4)<\/sup>, he needs 71 grams\/day. An average American female, who weighs 166 lbs (4)<\/sup>, needs 60 grams\/day.<\/p>\n

How much protein do Americans actually consume?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

According to a 2015 study, 98 grams for men and 67 grams for women. (5)<\/sup><\/p>\n

Remember that the average male only needs about 71 g and female 60 g according to our previous calculation.<\/p>\n

What about active individuals? Do they need more protein?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

This is still a debatable question. There continues to be conflicting recommendations between US Dietary Reference Intakes and the US Dietetic Association. (2,3)<\/sup><\/p>\n

Generally 1.2-1.3g\/kg\/day (instead of 0.8g\/kg\/day) of protein intake is considered enough for athletes and individuals with moderate physical activity level. (6,7)<\/sup><\/p>\n

If we do a quick calculation, that is 106 grams for a male athlete with an average weight of 195 lbs. 106 grams is not too far off from the 98 grams average American males are consuming already.<\/p>\n

For female it is a different story. 90 grams is quite a bit more than 67grams, which is what average American women consume a day. The good news is that the difference is nothing an omelet cannot make up for.<\/p>\n

So if you are a woman who exercises regularly, you may want to pay a bit more attention to your protein intake.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that protein does not only come from meat and beans. <\/strong>A cup of cooked oatmeal contains 6g of protein. A bagel contains 10g. One cup of cooked white rice contains over 4g. My point is, you are probably eating than you thought you were.<\/p>\n

Bottom line<\/strong><\/h5>\n