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   Feb 24

Eating too much protein can strain your kidneys but too little is bad for your muscles – so are YOU getting the right amount?

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Protein keeps you full for longer, warding off the need to snack and so aiding weight loss

People who are recovering from surgery or illness and pregnant women may need a little more protein

Animal proteins such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products are the highest-quality sources

Non-animal sources include beans, lentils, nuts, and wholegrains, but these lack one or two essential amino acids

Coming soon to a supermarket near you is the latest food fad — protein.

There is now a raft of protein-enriched products, from breads and pastas to yoghurts and drinks, has arrived — and they’re aimed not at super-fit athletes, but at everyday shoppers.

But how much protein do we actually need, and is it really key to keeping us fighting fit?

‘It’s important to eat protein every day, as it’s involved in everything from muscle repair and immunity, to making hormones and enzymes,’ says Dr Frankie Phillips, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association.

It also keeps you feeling full for longer, warding off the need to snack and so aiding weight loss.

A small to medium farmed salmon fillet provides more than half your daily protein intake.

Steak will supply nearly all of your daily protein intake, but the body can only use about 30g of protein at once – the rest is processed as waste
‘But the average person eats too much protein,’ she adds.

‘We need about 0.8 g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day — about 45 g for women and 55 g for men — and a balanced diet is more than enough to meet this.’

People who are recovering from surgery or illness may need a little more protein, as do pregnant women (about 6 g more a day, the amount in one egg), says Dr Phillips.

There is also some suggestion that older adults could benefit from raising their protein intake.

A U.S. study published last month involving 52 to 75-year-olds found that doubling the recommended daily protein intake to 1.5 g per kg of body weight helped build muscle.

But this was only a small study — and eating more protein than we need can put a strain on the kidneys, which help to break down the excess.

Even if you do need extra protein, Dr Phillips says it’s still better to get it from normal food rather than a protein-enriched product because you benefit from accompanying nutrients.

Animal proteins such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products are the highest-quality sources, because they contain the full set of nine essential amino acids — the building blocks of protein.

Non-animal sources include beans, lentils, nuts, and wholegrains, but these lack one or two essential amino acids.

That’s why vegetarians and vegans must eat a varied diet.

Some of the new protein products market themselves as helping to maintain energy throughout the day, but ‘it’s harder for your body to burn protein for energy’, says Dr Phillips.

‘For sustained energy, always combine protein with a carbohydrate — a cheese sandwich, for example.’

Source: Daily Mail

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