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When you consume protein, your body has to work extra hard to digest it. It burns more calories. If you are planning to lose weight, pay attention to your daily protein intake as well.
People’s opinions about nutrition change from time to time. But some things that always remain the same are some nutrients that the body needs. Vegetables and fruits should always be eaten for their fiber and micronutrients. It is also important to have healthy fats in your diet. Protein is needed to build muscles, your skin and hair as well as many other important functions of the body. But how much protein does a person need each day? Let’s find out from a dietitian in this article.
Protein’s job isn’t just to build muscle.
There is a common belief about protein that it is only necessary to build muscle. Many people think that protein intake is only necessary for gym goers. Questions are often asked about who needs protein, how much, and what their dietary sources are.
Most of us think of protein in building muscle, but it also plays an important role in maintaining and repairing cells, producing antibodies needed for immune function, and creating hormones and neurotransmitters.
Protein is a special micronutrient
Protein is one of the three main types of macronutrients. Two other macronutrients are fats and carbohydrates. Protein provides energy to our body. When we eat protein-rich foods like seafood, eggs, and beans, we break down the protein into its individual amino acids. Our body uses its muscles for many purposes besides building them.
Emphasizing protein and reducing fat in the diet can help preserve muscle, slow the aging process, and reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
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How much protein do you need each day?
Your protein needs vary based on many factors, including age, weight, body composition goals, level of physical activity, and whether you’re pregnant. Your needs also depend to some extent on the quality of protein you eat. If you consume protein according to the RDA recommendations, you will benefit from it. This is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight each day.
Nutritionist and wellness coach Neha Ranglani suggests consuming slightly more protein than the recommended RDA. The RDA is 0.8 g/kg, so we think the ideal range is between 1.2 and 1.6 g/kg.
To maintain weight, protein intake above the RDA is optimal. However, during weight loss, an increase of 1 to 1.4 g/kg is considered to maintain muscle mass and an active metabolic rate.
Why is getting the right amount of protein every day important to your health?
1 It helps burn calories
Whenever we eat something, our body expends some energy to digest it. This is called thermogenesis of food. Protein has the highest thermic effect of all the macronutrients because it requires more energy to break it down into its amino acids and rebuild them into amino acid chains in your body.
2 It helps in weight loss
Proteins keep you fuller for longer. This means that protein will keep you fuller and more satisfied when you consume the same amount of carbs or fat. When you experience more thermogenesis, your body expends more energy and increases oxygen consumption.
3 Helps build active lean muscle
When you eat more protein, it also stimulates protein synthesis, which helps build a lean body. And the leaner your muscles are, the more calories you’ll naturally burn at rest.
This is why a low-calorie or low-protein diet destroys the metabolism, because during extreme starvation the body begins to break down muscle to conserve calories or energy as a defense mechanism.
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