How much protein do you really need?
NeuroticVirgo
Posts: 3,671 Member
Link: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/how-much-protein-do-you-really-need-2523319/
Read this on yahoo...wondering what you all think?
By Sarah B. Weir and Lori Bongiorno
Posted Mon Aug 8, 2011 2:04pm PDT More from Green Picks blog
Guess how much protein is in a juicy, 8-ounce cheeseburger washed down with a milkshake? This single meal contains two to three times as much as most people need per day.
It’s no great surprise that Americans chow down on a lot of protein. We love beef and consume about 67 pounds per capita annually (that’s four times the international average). The popularity of low-carb regimes such as Atkins has also made meat the go-to food for dieters.
In fact, the average person eats about double the amount of protein that their body requires, according to the results of 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How to fulfill your daily protein requirement
The human body uses protein to repair damaged cells and to build new ones. Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at NYU and author of What to Eat, estimates that the average adult man needs about 65 grams of protein a day and the average adult female needs about 55 grams. Some sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization say you can maintain a healthy diet with even less.
What does this actually mean in terms of food choices? The National Institutes of Health explains that most people can meet their daily protein requirement by eating two to three small servings of a protein-rich food a day.
Examples of a single serving of protein include:
1 egg
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2-3 ounces of red meat, poultry, or fish (about the size of a deck of cards)
½ cup of cooked dried beans such as black beans or chickpeas
Whole grains, seeds, and some vegetables also contain protein, so consuming enough is not difficult even if you don’t eat meat. Vegetarians and vegans can easily get what they need by balancing complimentary proteins such as corn and beans or rice and tofu. Nutritionists used to recommend combining foods at the same meal, but research now shows that is unnecessary.
Are there drawbacks to eating more protein?
Eating large amounts of red and processed meats is associated with higher rates of heart disease and cancer, and most nutritionists such as Marion Nestle recommend cutting back on meat, especially on fatty cuts.
However, it’s less well known that your protein choices can have a substantial impact on the environment. Meat and dairy production requires tremendous amounts of fuel, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers, and generates greenhouse gases. The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) recently published Meat Eater’s Guide points out that if you ate once less burger a week it would be the environmentally-positive equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles.
Meat is also expensive. Not all proteins are created equal -- neither at the doctor’s office, nor the cash register. Here’s a comparison of three typical proteins:
Porterhouse steak
Serving size: 4 ounces
Protein: 22 grams
EWG carbon footprint rating: 2 nd worst out of 20 analyzed
Cost: 4 dollars
Fat: 22 grams
Saturated fat: 9 grams
Farm-raised salmon
Serving size: 4 ounces
Protein: 22 grams
EWG carbon footprint rating: 5th worst
Cost: 3 dollars
Fat: 10 grams
Saturated fat: 2 grams
Lentils
Serving size: 1 cup
Protein: 17.9 grams
EWG carbon footprint rating: best
Cost: 20 cents
Fat: zero
Saturated fat: zero
Many people find meat to be a delicious and satisfying component of their diet that they don’t want to sacrifice. But if you want to save money, eat a nutritionally sound diet, and are concerned about the impact meat and dairy production has on the planet, consider reducing your consumption.
Here are some tips from the EWG's Meat Eater’s Guide:
Reduce portion sizes by eating one less burger or steak each week, or participate in Meatless Mondays by skipping meat (and cheese if you can swing it) just one day a week.
Choose the healthiest protein sources when you can. Beans, low-fat yogurt, and nuts are all high in protein and low-impact.
When you do eat meat and cheese, eat the highest quality that you can afford. (One way to save money is to eat less, but better quality meat and dairy products.) Here’s a guide decoding the labels, from cage-free to grass-fed.
Don’t waste meat. Uneaten meat accounts for about 20 percent of meat’s greenhouse gas emissions.
You don’t have to become a vegetarian or go to other extremes. These small changes will help reduce your impact, while providing plenty of protein in your diet.
Read this on yahoo...wondering what you all think?
By Sarah B. Weir and Lori Bongiorno
Posted Mon Aug 8, 2011 2:04pm PDT More from Green Picks blog
Guess how much protein is in a juicy, 8-ounce cheeseburger washed down with a milkshake? This single meal contains two to three times as much as most people need per day.
It’s no great surprise that Americans chow down on a lot of protein. We love beef and consume about 67 pounds per capita annually (that’s four times the international average). The popularity of low-carb regimes such as Atkins has also made meat the go-to food for dieters.
In fact, the average person eats about double the amount of protein that their body requires, according to the results of 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How to fulfill your daily protein requirement
The human body uses protein to repair damaged cells and to build new ones. Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at NYU and author of What to Eat, estimates that the average adult man needs about 65 grams of protein a day and the average adult female needs about 55 grams. Some sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization say you can maintain a healthy diet with even less.
What does this actually mean in terms of food choices? The National Institutes of Health explains that most people can meet their daily protein requirement by eating two to three small servings of a protein-rich food a day.
Examples of a single serving of protein include:
1 egg
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2-3 ounces of red meat, poultry, or fish (about the size of a deck of cards)
½ cup of cooked dried beans such as black beans or chickpeas
Whole grains, seeds, and some vegetables also contain protein, so consuming enough is not difficult even if you don’t eat meat. Vegetarians and vegans can easily get what they need by balancing complimentary proteins such as corn and beans or rice and tofu. Nutritionists used to recommend combining foods at the same meal, but research now shows that is unnecessary.
Are there drawbacks to eating more protein?
Eating large amounts of red and processed meats is associated with higher rates of heart disease and cancer, and most nutritionists such as Marion Nestle recommend cutting back on meat, especially on fatty cuts.
However, it’s less well known that your protein choices can have a substantial impact on the environment. Meat and dairy production requires tremendous amounts of fuel, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers, and generates greenhouse gases. The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) recently published Meat Eater’s Guide points out that if you ate once less burger a week it would be the environmentally-positive equivalent of taking your car off the road for 320 miles.
Meat is also expensive. Not all proteins are created equal -- neither at the doctor’s office, nor the cash register. Here’s a comparison of three typical proteins:
Porterhouse steak
Serving size: 4 ounces
Protein: 22 grams
EWG carbon footprint rating: 2 nd worst out of 20 analyzed
Cost: 4 dollars
Fat: 22 grams
Saturated fat: 9 grams
Farm-raised salmon
Serving size: 4 ounces
Protein: 22 grams
EWG carbon footprint rating: 5th worst
Cost: 3 dollars
Fat: 10 grams
Saturated fat: 2 grams
Lentils
Serving size: 1 cup
Protein: 17.9 grams
EWG carbon footprint rating: best
Cost: 20 cents
Fat: zero
Saturated fat: zero
Many people find meat to be a delicious and satisfying component of their diet that they don’t want to sacrifice. But if you want to save money, eat a nutritionally sound diet, and are concerned about the impact meat and dairy production has on the planet, consider reducing your consumption.
Here are some tips from the EWG's Meat Eater’s Guide:
Reduce portion sizes by eating one less burger or steak each week, or participate in Meatless Mondays by skipping meat (and cheese if you can swing it) just one day a week.
Choose the healthiest protein sources when you can. Beans, low-fat yogurt, and nuts are all high in protein and low-impact.
When you do eat meat and cheese, eat the highest quality that you can afford. (One way to save money is to eat less, but better quality meat and dairy products.) Here’s a guide decoding the labels, from cage-free to grass-fed.
Don’t waste meat. Uneaten meat accounts for about 20 percent of meat’s greenhouse gas emissions.
You don’t have to become a vegetarian or go to other extremes. These small changes will help reduce your impact, while providing plenty of protein in your diet.
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Replies
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This is so true. Nobody ever wants to listen to me because I'm vegan but people really don't need as much protein as they think they do. Plus its naturally found in a lot more foods than people realize. I'm up to 51 grams of protein so far today without even trying, and without any animal products.2
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As someone who lifts weights, going to keep eating protein to support the muscle I'm building.0
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I read this article earlier today and I was kind of annoyed with it. It doesn't specify under what circumstances that amount of protein would be appropriate. I think it depends on what your goals are... Maybe for someone who doesn't strength train/lift weights and isnt trying to lose or gain weight this would be appropriate to maintain the muscle they do have. I recently bought "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" written by Lou Schuler and Cassandra Forsythe and they recommend 1 to 2 grams per pound of body weight per day to help you maintain and repair/build your muscle when you are strength training. Also, if you are losing weight, some of the weight lost is muscle mass and you may need more protein than the article says to recover from that.0
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Protein is important for muscle regrowth, etc But I don't think it matters if you're getting it from nuts/lentils/etc or from an animal. As long as it's working for you that's fine. Not everyone needs copious amounts of protein but we do all need some. It helps keep me full and helps me to work out better.0
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Aside from the environmental impacts of meat mentioned in the above article, it requires vast resources in the form of grains, land, and water to grow meat, many times more resources than those required for growing plants. We are currently growing enough food to feed 12 billion people at the very least. We currently have only 6.7 billion in the world, and yet millions of people go hungry each day, and many people, even children, starve to death each day. This is because rather than ending world hunger, most people would rather that abundant food supply be fed to the cows who are living miserable lives in their own excrement so that they can enjoy a "tasty" burger. I would rather live off of nothing but lentils and rice for the rest of my life than have to know what I'm doing not only to animals and the environment, but to people all over the world.1
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There are many people who eat not only a vegan diet but a RAW vegan diet and are also athletes and body builders.1
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Protein is important, especially if you strength train and do cardio 5 or 6 days a week like i do, I think the message that link was trying to say is too many people are eating too much beef which is high in bad fats (saturated fat mostly and cholesterol) and are consuming too much to get protein...... protein is important, I take in about 100g a day from lean skinless chicken breasts/Turkey and fish and from veggies and take in the poly and mono (the good fats) I seldom eat beef and I think thats what they were trying to say0
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Aside from the environmental impacts of meat mentioned in the above article, it requires vast resources in the form of grains, land, and water to grow meat, many times more resources than those required for growing plants. We are currently growing enough food to feed 12 billion people at the very least. We currently have only 6.7 billion in the world, and yet millions of people go hungry each day, and many people, even children, starve to death each day. This is because rather than ending world hunger, most people would rather that abundant food supply be fed to the cows who are living miserable lives in their own excrement so that they can enjoy a "tasty" burger. I would rather live off of nothing but lentils and rice for the rest of my life than have to know what I'm doing not only to animals and the environment, but to people all over the world.
Whoa, chill out there. No one on the thread attacked the vegan diet or even said that meat was a better source of protein over lentils, etc...0 -
This is so true. Nobody ever wants to listen to me because I'm vegan but people really don't need as much protein as they think they do. Plus its naturally found in a lot more foods than people realize. I'm up to 51 grams of protein so far today without even trying, and without any animal products.
I'd listen to you! But I already agree with you, so it would be preaching to the choir. :-)
Too much protein is actually quite unhealthy and people think they need way more than they do, even when strength training.0 -
agleckle, the article mentions the consumers belief in eating large quantities of meat for protein and the impacts which consuming large quantities of meat has on the earth. I was just sharing other facts about the impact of eating meat that I believe most people don't know. Until 10 months ago when I started reading about it, I didn't know either. There's nothing to chill out about.
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great article...i'll reference this when people give me the "oh, you cannot get enough protein" crap
i eat tons of cottage cheese and greek yogurt which is good for the environment also0 -
I always thought about 70 g protein daily.
:-)0 -
This is so true. Nobody ever wants to listen to me because I'm vegan but people really don't need as much protein as they think they do. Plus its naturally found in a lot more foods than people realize. I'm up to 51 grams of protein so far today without even trying, and without any animal products.
No the article is full of crap. Protein minimums are required, not optional not only for muscle building but to lose weight (burning fat instead of muscle). It's all part of hitting your macronutrient requirements.1 -
Aside from the environmental impacts of meat mentioned in the above article, it requires vast resources in the form of grains, land, and water to grow meat, many times more resources than those required for growing plants. We are currently growing enough food to feed 12 billion people at the very least. We currently have only 6.7 billion in the world, and yet millions of people go hungry each day, and many people, even children, starve to death each day. This is because rather than ending world hunger, most people would rather that abundant food supply be fed to the cows who are living miserable lives in their own excrement so that they can enjoy a "tasty" burger. I would rather live off of nothing but lentils and rice for the rest of my life than have to know what I'm doing not only to animals and the environment, but to people all over the world.
Love how you bring starving children into this topic. Then you go on about the survivability of animals. Wow really?There are many people who eat not only a vegan diet but a RAW vegan diet and are also athletes and body builders.
I know quite a few bodybuilders as well as IFBB bodybuilding competitors and almost every one of them eat some kind of meat to get their protein, and do not ONLY eat RAW veggies.
I would also be willing to bet that almost ALL players in the NFL eat some kind of meat, and don't get their protein from just veggies.0 -
This is so true. Nobody ever wants to listen to me because I'm vegan but people really don't need as much protein as they think they do. Plus its naturally found in a lot more foods than people realize. I'm up to 51 grams of protein so far today without even trying, and without any animal products.
No the article is full of crap. Protein minimums are required, not optional not only for muscle building but to lose weight (burning fat instead of muscle). It's all part of hitting your macronutrient requirements.
Nobody (including the article) said there weren't minimum amounts of protein needed, just that the average person consumes way more than they need.0 -
This is so true. Nobody ever wants to listen to me because I'm vegan but people really don't need as much protein as they think they do. Plus its naturally found in a lot more foods than people realize. I'm up to 51 grams of protein so far today without even trying, and without any animal products.
No the article is full of crap. Protein minimums are required, not optional not only for muscle building but to lose weight (burning fat instead of muscle). It's all part of hitting your macronutrient requirements.
Nobody (including the article) said there weren't minimum amounts of protein needed, just that the average person consumes way more than they need.
And actually the average person consumes way LESS protein than they need, and consume way MORE carbs than they need.2 -
The problem with this is the very first line about a cheeseburger and milkshake.
Depending on where they got this form it could be more than most of us eat per day.
More protein is better!!!!!!!
Less fat, simple carbs and sodium.
Vegan and Non Vegan, same difference. Just get it where you like it!!!0 -
My dietician says I need 100-120 proteins a day.0
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I can't believe I didn't see this statement from the article:Eating large amounts of red and processed meats is associated with higher rates of heart disease and cancer, and most nutritionists such as Marion Nestle recommend cutting back on meat, especially on fatty cuts.
So untrue. Dietary cholesterol does not have anything to do with blood serum cholesterol.
Food is not even one of the proven causes of CVD and/or CHD.
1. Being morbidly obese and lack of exercise
2. Smoking
3. Diabetes
4. Genetics
Just to name a few.1 -
A single burger and a milkshake is 2-3x more protein than the daily requirement.
I'll be generous and spot them a Whopper which contains about 30g of protein. A milkshake might (read: MIGHT) contain a whopping 20g of protein.
So 50g of protein is 2-3x more than most people need? Meaning the daily requirement is 15-25g of protein daily. Yeah, I'm going to call bs on this article.0 -
If I comment on the misguidedbutwellmeant comments (you translate that) by the anti-protein folks here I will be banned.0 -
what if u don't eat meat? I need protein too! I am tired of eating nuts all day long. lol0
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Interesting... but I find the whole meat/protein thing comes down to what works best for an individual.
That said, it can be akin to touching on religion or politics. People can feel really strongly about it and be intractible in their viewpoints, for deeply felt reasons.
Best to leave it at 'eat the amount that seems best for you, based on expert opinion and your own careful observations, don't fall under this minimum, and it's best to stick to lean sources of protein.'
And heck, why not just focus on the portion size and the sheer amount of fat that's likely in that cheeseburger and milkshake? My cheeseburgers at home are pretty darn healthy. You can make 96/4 burger taste pretty flavorful, you just have to be more careful with it. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could get that lean of hamburger as a choice at a burger place? And a smaller, whole grain bun?
I know, I know, dream on... at least I can make it at home.0 -
I can't believe I didn't see this statement from the article:Eating large amounts of red and processed meats is associated with higher rates of heart disease and cancer, and most nutritionists such as Marion Nestle recommend cutting back on meat, especially on fatty cuts.
So untrue. Dietary cholesterol does not have anything to do with blood serum cholesterol.
Food is not even one of the proven causes of CVD and/or CHD.
1. Being morbidly obese and lack of exercise
2. Smoking
3. Diabetes
4. Genetics
Just to name a few.
Joe:
You've hit the key point in that article and, the way I'd put it, is that the article is true but misleading.
"associated with" means whatever the author of the article wants it to mean.
To me, there's very little validity in the article, from top to bottom and the "associated with" is just an "escape clause" that sounds like something but, since there's no definition, it has no meaning.
Unfortunately, most of the articles that I've read on the web are similarly lacking in specificity but, because so many people don't exercise critical thinking skills, those articles are believed.0 -
I'm not anti-vegan. Honestly I could care less, but when people start bringing starving children or animal cruelty into the discussion, it gets a bit ridiculous.
It is very hard for a bodybuilder that is serious about bulking and getting their protein intake to eat protein from veggies only. It's almost impossible. They have to consume alot of shakes to get their intake.
Vegetables do not exaclty have enormous amounts of protein. Some bodybuilders that bulk 5-6 months out of the year ingest in upwards of 300-350g of protein per day. Thats ALOT of vegetables.0 -
Interesting... but I find the whole meat/protein thing comes down to what works best for an individual.
That said, it can be akin to touching on religion or politics. People can feel really strongly about it and be intractible in their viewpoints, for deeply felt reasons.
Best to leave it at 'eat the amount that seems best for you, based on expert opinion and your own careful observations, don't fall under this minimum, and it's best to stick to lean sources of protein.'
And heck, why not just focus on the portion size and the sheer amount of fat that's likely in that cheeseburger and milkshake? My cheeseburgers at home are pretty darn healthy. You can make 96/4 burger taste pretty flavorful, you just have to be more careful with it. Wouldn't it be awesome if we could get that lean of hamburger as a choice at a burger place? And a smaller, whole grain bun?
I know, I know, dream on... at least I can make it at home.
Part of the problem is people don't consider goals.
Can you live on 40g of protein? Probably, but are you really going to be healthy? Hard to say, no valid research has been done on what is the minimum levels are.
However, the the vast majority of research does show that as much as 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight is OPTIMAL for building muscle.
Also, Protein has a higher TEF than other macros and thus increases metabolism by as much as 30% over Carbs and Fats.
As far as creating all that extra polution to supply all of the meat. What do you think the levels chemicals used would be if they instead produced the same amount of nutrients in veggies and fruits that would feed the same number of people? I don't think there would be much of an improvement because the reality is most people could give a crap if they eat organic and I question how many large"organic" produce suppliers are actually organic.0 -
I'm not anti-vegan. Honestly I could care less, but when people start bringing starving children or animal cruelty into the discussion, it gets a bit ridiculous.
It is very hard for a bodybuilder that is serious about bulking and getting their protein intake to eat protein from veggies only. It's almost impossible. They have to consume alot of shakes to get their intake.
Vegetables do not exaclty have enormous amounts of protein. Some bodybuilders that bulk 5-6 months out of the year ingest in upwards of 300-350g of protein per day. Thats ALOT of vegetables.
But do bodybuilders really "need" that much protein??
http://www.dietitian.com/protein.html0 -
I'm not anti-vegan. Honestly I could care less, but when people start bringing starving children or animal cruelty into the discussion, it gets a bit ridiculous.
It is very hard for a bodybuilder that is serious about bulking and getting their protein intake to eat protein from veggies only. It's almost impossible. They have to consume alot of shakes to get their intake.
Vegetables do not exaclty have enormous amounts of protein. Some bodybuilders that bulk 5-6 months out of the year ingest in upwards of 300-350g of protein per day. Thats ALOT of vegetables.
But do bodybuilders really "need" that much protein??
http://www.dietitian.com/protein.html
Bcat are you really going to go there with me and start quoting links? *think about that for a minute*
Actually I dont even need to quote links. I'll just mention names.
Alan Aragon
Lyle McDonald
Martin Berkhan
Start reading.0 -
I'm not anti-vegan. Honestly I could care less, but when people start bringing starving children or animal cruelty into the discussion, it gets a bit ridiculous.
It is very hard for a bodybuilder that is serious about bulking and getting their protein intake to eat protein from veggies only. It's almost impossible. They have to consume alot of shakes to get their intake.
Vegetables do not exaclty have enormous amounts of protein. Some bodybuilders that bulk 5-6 months out of the year ingest in upwards of 300-350g of protein per day. Thats ALOT of vegetables.
But do bodybuilders really "need" that much protein??
http://www.dietitian.com/protein.html
Joe, don't bother responding to her. I have vowed to no longer even respond to her anymore. Seriously, you can speak all of the scientific facts you want and it will not penetrate this one's mind one bit.0 -
I'm not anti-vegan. Honestly I could care less, but when people start bringing starving children or animal cruelty into the discussion, it gets a bit ridiculous.
It is very hard for a bodybuilder that is serious about bulking and getting their protein intake to eat protein from veggies only. It's almost impossible. They have to consume alot of shakes to get their intake.
Vegetables do not exaclty have enormous amounts of protein. Some bodybuilders that bulk 5-6 months out of the year ingest in upwards of 300-350g of protein per day. Thats ALOT of vegetables.
But do bodybuilders really "need" that much protein??
http://www.dietitian.com/protein.html
Bcat are you really going to go there with me and start quoting links? *think about that for a minute*
Sure, if you want. I don't care how much protein people eat, but I've never seen any conclusive or even pervasive medical evidence that mass protein is needed for bodybuilding. (just for the record I do not see bodybuilding sites as medical)0
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