Is Protein The Most Important Macronutrient?
Let's talk some history: The word “Protein” comes from the Greek word “Protos” meaning “first/primary” and that in and of itself should speak about the importance of protein.
Even more so, if you look into biology, most of the body was made out of protein, including muscle tissue, enzymes, hormones and others.
Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein. The basic structure of protein is a chain of amino acids. You need protein in your diet to help your body repair cells and make new ones. Protein is also important for growth and development in children, teens, and pregnant women.
This is why deficiency in protein can lead to unwanted side effects, such as low libido, poor recovery, worsened hormonal function, brain fog, fatigue, weakness, thinning hair, brittle nails, and dry skin.
How Much Protein Do I Need?
The widely recommended protein intake has circled around 1 gram of protein, per pound of bodyweight, per day.
If you weigh 180 lbs, you’d need roughly 180 grams of protein per day.
However, this appears to be more relevant for actively training individuals that hold more lean body mass.
If you don’t really hit the gym very often, you’d need about 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of bodyweight, to sustain health and optimal functioning.
The range depending on your goals and activity is between .7g-1g of protein per pound of body weight.
What Are The Best Sources Of Protein?
Proteins are made up of amino acids - There are a total of 20 amino acids and 9 of them are essential.
Each food provides different amounts protein AND different levels of amino acids (aka amino acid profile) that is digested, absorbed and retained differently.
Here’s the punchline…
Animal products appear to be of the greatest value for the human body. These are the foods that provide all essential amino acids, along with healthy fats and a multitude of vitamins.
However, in this day and age mass-production of animal products can include things like unnatural growth, where the animals don’t have enough room to run freely and are fed with processed, low-quality animal foods.
Some of the BEST sources of protein:
Grass-fed beef
Wild-caught salmon
Free-range chicken
Pork
Cheese & Other dairy
Eggs
Most of these foods are saturated with quality protein, meaning that you will need just a couple of portions to meet your daily needs!
What If I’m Plant-Based?
The foods that contain the full set of essential amino acids are meat based.
Plant foods typically lack one or more essential amino acids and take up a lot of space in the stomach.
If you’ve decided to not eat meat, your best bet would be to combine different plant products, in order to compensate for the full amino acid profile.
Here is a small list of the best plant-based protein sources:
Lentils
Beans and other legumes
Cashews
Almonds
Edamame
Tahini
Peanut butter
Peas
Macadamias
Protein is a powerful nutrient that keeps us healthy, alive, well and recovered, which is why you just can’t ignore it!
Place quality, protein-rich products at the core of your daily nutrition and you will see the difference for yourself!
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