How Much Protein Do I Need?
and when is more protein better?
Are you getting enough protein? What does ‘enough’ mean for YOU?
From a medical perspective, it’s clear that most of us are getting plenty of protein. Protein deficiencies are rare in wealthier countries, thanks to our love affair with protein-rich foods. (Note: Protein malnutrition remains an important health issue in the developing world, where it often coincides with too few total calories and/or a narrow, unbalanced diet.)
Globally, we consume about one third more protein than the official recommended intake of 50 grams per day (based on 0.8 g/kg), with North Americans topping the charts at over 100 grams per day and Europeans coming in not far behind. If more protein is always better, then this is great news for North America and Europe. But, what if “enough” protein truly is enough, and more isn’t necessarily better?
As a scientist (PhD in genetics), I have a deep respect for the importance of providing our bodies with enough of this critical building block of life. I also appreciate that human biology is both highly complex and individual, and that simple rules of thumb like “more of a good thing must be better” rarely pan out.
To help you — and me — determine our optimal protein intakes, this article looks under the hood of the…
