Why Is Protein Intake So Important?

It is important to know what proteins are. This nutrient, which we get from our diet, is essential and performs various functions in the body. Therefore, protein intake should not be neglected.

In the following, we will present in detail everything you need to know about proteins. As soon as you understand how it influences your health, you will definitely pay more attention to meeting your daily protein needs.

Macronutrients

There are three types of macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates. We call them that because they are found in large quantities in various foods and allow us to meet the energy needs of the body.

The functions of proteins are multiple. We find them in foods of animal and vegetable origin, making up some of the cellular structures and tissues. Thus, an adequate intake of protein helps prevent muscle loss.

According to current scientific literature, insufficient protein intake is one of the risk factors for sarcopenia. This disease causes the progressive destruction of muscles and loss of strength in different regions of the body.

At the same time, proteins have many other physiological and anatomical implications. They act as enzymes, catalyzing intracellular and internal reactions. Proteins can be converted to glucose in the liver to produce energy.

Protein intake ensures an adequate composition of the human body

Protein deficiency can lead to certain diseases. Until recently, experts believed that excess protein is also harmful. However, at the moment, the lack of protein is considered to be more worrying.

Despite the fact that proteins have the ability to perform various functions, their most important role is structural. In the case of athletes, a sufficient intake of protein is essential in terms of muscle development.

Although sedentary people should consume 1.2 g of protein per kg of body weight daily, in athletes, this intake should be 2 g per kg.

A review of studies published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends increasing protein intake to 3 g per kg of body weight in individuals experiencing a marked loss of muscle mass.

But monitoring your protein intake is not just important for athletes. According to experts, proteins help prevent and reduce cancer-associated cachexia. This problem consists of the progressive loss of weight and muscle mass, which can increase the risk of death in cancer patients.

Does protein intake affect kidney function?

One of the arguments for limiting protein intake is that if consumed in excess, it could adversely affect the liver and kidneys in the medium term. For this reason, specialists did not recommend sedentary people to consume more than 1.8 g of protein per kg of body weight.

But a review published in 2017 looked at the results of several studies that involved taking high doses of dietary protein for long periods of time. The results of most of them suggest that an increased intake of protein does not affect the kidneys. Experts now believe that high-protein diets are safe.

Not all proteins are the same

As you can see, protein intake is very important. But not all dietary proteins are of the same quality. Depending on the origin, there are two fundamental categories: animal and plant.

Animal proteins have a higher biological value. They contain all the essential amino acids in the human body (which it cannot produce on its own) and have an acceptable level of digestibility.

Certain essential amino acids tend to be missing from the composition of vegetable proteins. At the same time, their digestibility is lower, which affects their absorption. Vegetable protein should not be missing from a varied diet, but, according to experts, animal protein should make up at least 50% of the total protein intake.

To help you better understand the importance of essential amino acids, we will mention that some of them are involved in maintaining muscle mass. This category includes leucine, which has the ability to stimulate the anabolic pathways of the human body, stimulating the formation of weak tissue.

A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition shows that supplementation with this amino acid in isolation can prevent muscle loss in the elderly. However, diet is the best way to consume this nutrient.

Make sure you include enough protein in your diet

In this article, we discovered together the importance of protein in the diet. Insufficient protein intake has a high impact on both muscle health and physiological reactions, such as the formation of certain hormones.

To ensure that you are ingesting the amount of protein you need, it is essential to analyze your diet. By consuming animal foods at every meal, you are unlikely to have a deficiency. Regardless of the circumstances, try to include sources of vegetable protein in your snacks.

Until a few years ago, experts believed that we should consume 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight every day. Nowadays, however, this value has increased. Do not neglect this nutrient. In the long run, your health will benefit.