This is Harvard Health Publishing, they say I need about 0.8 grams of protein everyday, now, that means I would have to consume about 70 grams of protein everyday (minimum) to stay healthy, now, I live in India and don’t consume that much, but I consider myself pretty healthy.
So, what’s the amount one should realistically be aiming towards? If I were to take 70 grams of protein everyday, what measurable changes can I expect in my life🤔?
https://www.dietdoctor.com/food-policy/protein
2g per kg ideal body weight, look at citation 5 for references
Not all sources of protein are the same, you need ALL the essential amino acids to actually be able to use protein. Most food protein is based on a nitrogen estimate and not measured amino acids!!! (This is called crude protein)
A good way to see what food are bioavailable protein is to reference it’s DIAAS score.
https://www.diaas-calculator.com/
If you eat your daily target of protein but it’s missing amino acids, your body can’t use it, and you haven’t actually eaten your target protein.
You could also use a tool like cronometer to map out your food and amino acids as well
That diet doctor recommendation feels wildly high for a “what is actually necessary” request. Like 2 g/kg is near the target for bodybuilders.
It might be a good idea for many people to hit that to maximize muscle development in preparation for aging (where muscle deterioration is chief concern), but not a good estimate for anyone who isnt worried about that.
They also say two further things which ding their credibility:
First is this comment: “Because there appears to be a limited amount of protein that can be absorbed at a meal, it may be best to evenly space out your protein throughout the day, if possible.”
This is not really a concern even for bodybuilders. You dont need to overthink spacing.
Second is the comment about vegetarians/vegans. Protein intake is not a huge concern for the average vegetarian, if you are not aiming for that unnecessarily high target - as long as they are regularly including some protein in their meals (soy, beans, nuts, eggs). Even for non-vegetarians, that higher target requires you to monitor of your protein intake to hit it regularly with overeating.
Big difference between body builders and normal people is that the advice is for ideal body weight, where bodybuilders consume per current bodyweight. The advice has to be high to account for the highly variable metabolism, and diets of the general population. Some people simply don’t eat bioavailable complete proteins, at all.
Here is there reference for that advice: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3197704/ Moderating the portion size of a protein-rich meal improves anabolic efficiency in young and elderly - Randomized Trial; Moderate evidence.
Here is their reference for that advice: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5521049/ Determination of the protein quality of cooked Canadian pulses - [mechanistic study; ungraded]
They cited references and papers for each of their comments, which improves their credibility. I would have liked them to mention DIAAS scores, for completeness, rather then referring to a paper on pulses, but that doesn’t remove from their advice.