Protein – it’s essential for life, but are you eating enough? Protein isn’t just for body builders – from immunity to egg quality, mental health to repair from injury, every bodily process needs protein. Including a source of protein in every meal, every day is a great foundation for vibrant health.
Protein – providing amino acids for survival
Built from amino acids bonded together into long chains which fold into three dimensional shapes, protein is the most fundamental component of tissues in animals and humans.
The protein that we eat is broken down into its amino acid components in our digestive system. These amino acids in turn are used in every body process, and are “essential for the health, growth, development, reproduction, lactation, and survival of organisms”.
The body uses 20 amino acids in different combinations to build new proteins. These proteins fulfil a variety of roles including –
Communication – hormones send messages throughout the body – for example, follicle stimulating hormone promotes the maturation of eggs in the ovary
Structure – proteins are important components in the structures of the body – for example, collagen is found in bone, skin, muscles, tendons and cartilage
Chemical reactions – enzymes facilitate biochemical reactions – for example, digestive enzymes break down food
Immunity – antibodies are proteins that fight infections
Transport – proteins move molecules around the body – for example, haemoglobin in red blood cells transports oxygen
Protein for Muscle
Protein is an essential component of muscle, and maintaining healthy muscle is important for two main reasons.
Skeletal muscle is the largest organ in the body and is essential for movement, posture and breathing. Strong muscles keep us mobile, prevent injury and decrease pain.
Muscle also has a number of metabolic roles in the body which are important contributors to longevity, health and disease prevention. Muscles release compounds called myokines. Myokines are substances with innumerate functions in the body including memory and learning, glucose and lipid metabolism. Myokines are anti-inflammatory, and have a role in limiting chronic inflammation and tumour growth.
Protein Regulates Appetite and Blood Sugar
The protein we eat also serves a number of important metabolic functions. These include regulating our appetite and balancing our blood sugar.
The effect of dietary protein on appetite is described by the protein leverage hypothesis. Our bodies need a certain amount of protein every day to perform all of their functions and we’re driven to eat until that protein requirement is met. If you get to the end of the day having not had enough protein, your appetite and cravings will increase and you’re more likely to binge on sugar and chips. Having protein with every meal ensures that your protein needs are met, and you’re less likely to overeat.
Eating breakfast positively affects blood sugar regulation and insulin levels. The circadian clock controls glucose metabolism. Eating breakfast turns on the circadian clock genes that decrease blood sugar levels. This effect is even more pronounced with a high protein breakfast, meaning that if you eat protein for breakfast, your blood sugar and insulin levels stay more balanced.
Fluctuating blood sugar can be associated with a wide range of symptoms including brain fog, fatigue, dizziness and food cravings. Long term blood sugar spikes can lead to chronic health problems such as type 2 diabetes, depression and PCOS. Including protein with every meal can help keep your blood sugar balanced and minimise the health impacts of glucose and insulin spikes.
Plant Vs Animal Protein
There are both plant and animal sources of dietary protein but not all are equal. There are two categories of amino acids – essential and non-essential. Non-essential amino acids can be made by the body, where essential amino acids cannot, and must be consumed in food.
Animal sources of protein contain all 9 essential amino acids, where most plant foods don’t. Vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with a lower risk of chronic health problems including heart disease and some cancers, but you need to be more intentional to ensure you’re getting enough of the right proteins.
If you’re vegetarian, including eggs and dairy will help to boost your protein intake. If you’re vegan, eating a wide variety of plant proteins will help you get the amino acids you need. A consultation with a nutritionist or naturopath can assist to maximise your protein intake.
A note of caution around plant based meat alternatives. Whilst convenient and tasty, these products are often highly processed and have less bioavailable protein when compared with animal foods.
Eating too much meat is associated with health risks including bowel cancer. You can reduce this risk by avoiding processed meat products, minimising red meat intake and including a wide variety of vegetables in your diet.
How much protein should I eat? What does that look like?
One benefit of including animal foods in your diet is their higher protein density. This means you don’t need to eat as much in order to fulfil your daily protein requirement.
A rough guide for protein intake is to aim for 1 gram of protein for every kg of your ideal body weight. For example, if your ideal weight is 60 kg you would aim for 60g of protein a day, or 20g of protein with each main meal. If you’re doing a lot of exercise or are menopausal you can increase this to 1.2 g per kilo of your ideal body weight.
How much actual food contains 20 grams of protein?
- 87 g of chicken
- 77 g of red meat
- 93 g of almonds
- 105 g of salmon
- 121 g of feta cheese
- 155 g of quinoa
- 159 g of eggs (3 eggs)
- 167 g of tofu
- 242 g of chickpeas
- 263 g of lentils
If you’d like to check how much protein is in a particular food, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand has a searchable food composition database here.
Eating enough protein is important to ensure you have all the right building blocks for health. Aiming to include protein containing foods in your meals and snacks will help with everything from hormones to muscles, immunity and healing. If you are vegetarian or vegan, or are struggling with what to eat, consider consulting with a naturopath or nutritionist for support.