It can be assumed that when you read the title you fell into one of two
categories. You either thought to yourself “I have no idea” or you
recalled something you read online about “this many grams per pound.”
The truth is that this question can have multiple answers depending on
things such as your level of activity, your fitness goals, and age. If
you were to look at the most of the daily-recommended intakes you will
likely see a level of 0.8 grams per kilogram or 0.37 grams per pound.
For a 220-pound man this would equate in 80 grams of protein. Now this
is a very modest amount for a man this size. While these recommended
levels are probably sufficient to avoid any types of deficiencies, it
would be hard to say that this would be the optimal level for a healthy
lifestyle. Lets say that this 220-pound man consumes 2000 calories a day
and only eats 80 grams of protein. This would mean that only 16% of his
daily intake came from protein levels. Not exactly a balanced diet.Protein’s role in the body is quite fascinating. In fact, proteins have
role in almost all of the functions of the human body. It’s most
recognized use is for the building of muscle, but it also plays a vital
role in helping your hair and nails grow strong, transporting oxygen via
red blood cells, and even strengthening the structure of your bones.
Having adequate protein in your diet ensures that you have enough of the
enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters you need to function at
optimal levels. Aside from this fact you can also see added benefits of
increased metabolic rates, reduced appetite, increased muscular
strength, and improved performance in physically demanding tasks with an
increased protein intake.So how much is enough? The above-mentioned benefits can be seen in diets
that consist of 25 to 30% of calories from protein. So on that same
2000-calorie diet mentioned above rather than taking in 80 grams, taking
in 150 grams will help him possibly lose weight, build muscle and feel a
lot better! So rather than assigning a number based on weight, it may
be better to make sure you are staying within the 25-30% range which
will likely ensure no chance of deficiency and all those added benefits.
For example, if you were to take a woman whose goal was to lose weight
and put her on a 1200 calorie, and she stayed at 30% protein, she would
consume 90 grams each day, which is actually 10 grams above the
recommended daily intake of our 220-pound man mentioned above! Not bad
right?
Lastly, we should note that protein can be found in many different
foods, from yogurt to lentils. You don’t have to eat a ton of meat to
get your levels up, but it is of note that animal proteins do contain
the most complete levels of essential amino acids in the ratios our body
needs. If chicken’s not your flavor though a nice lentil loaf could be
just as good! So watch your macronutrients and make sure your protein
level is where it should be each day!