According to the National Academy of Medicine, you should get just over 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of your body.
That means that if you weigh 140 pounds, you need about 50 grams of protein.
So now you know how much protein you need, but do you know what protein is? What it helps your body do?
There are a lot of different diets and nutritional trends, including protein-focused ones. This article will give you the facts about protein and how it can contribute to your health.
Table of Contents
1. It Controls Your Hunger Levels
Protein is important because it can actually help you control your hunger levels.
There are three main macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. They all affect your body differently, but protein can be the most filling. If you eat more of it, you’ll feel more full which can help you avoid eating other unhealthy foods.
Protein reduces your hunger hormone, so you don’t feel as hungry all the time.
When planning our your diet, try to make more of your calories consisting of protein. This may help you avoid eating other calories that may not be as healthy.
There are plenty of meals that you can make that are filled with protein. A good source of protein is meat and fish, and if you’re going to be making a lot of it, you’ll need to make sure you have some good kitchen knives to chop and prepare it.
It can be hard to find a good knife, but you can click here to learn more about choosing the right one.
2. Protein Helps Build Muscles
Protein is really important when you’re trying to build muscle. If you’re working out and trying to bulk up your muscles, protein is definitely something that needs to be in your diet.
A complete protein is something that has all of the nine essential amino acids. Most of these kinds of proteins can be found in eggs, milk, meat, and poultry.
If you are vegan or vegetarian, then you can still get these proteins. There are all kinds of protein powders out there that act as a diet supplement and also are there for people who work out a lot.
If you take some protein after a workout, it can actually help repair the tears you created in your muscles. It will help add more strength to your muscles and help you with your next workout.
3. Proteins Are Different Sizes and Shapes
Proteins also come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes.
The simple proteins are sometimes described to look like trains with a lot of different cars behind it. Each “car” of the protein is an amino acid.
There are all kinds of different proteins and shapes, but they are all made up of 20 different amino acids.
4. Helps Boost Your Metabolism
In addition to helping you not feel as hungry, protein can also help you boost your metabolism.
When you eat something, your body starts to burn calories to start to digest food and use the nutrients to digest it. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF).
However, different foods can have a different effect. Protein has about 20-35% of an effect, which is more than carbs or fat can provide.
This higher metabolism can help you burn about 80 to 100 more calories than normal. Over time, those calories will start to add up and you will start to notice a difference in your weight.
5. Good For Your Bones
In addition to the protein being good for your muscles, it can also be good for your bones.
Some people think that animal protein is bad for your bones because some people think it increases the acid in your body which can destroy the calcium in your bones.
However, many studies have shown that protein helps to build up your bones.
People who eat a lot of protein compared to those who don’t have had better bone mass and less osteoporosis in the future.
Women are at a higher risk for osteoporosis after menopause, so making sure you eat plenty of protein is important.
6. You Need to Take Protein Regularly
Protein is so good for you that it’s important to take it regularly.
You should make sure you balance all of your nutrients and make sure that you are getting enough protein when you balance out your diet.
If you eat protein regularly, it can help balance energy more, and it can tell your body to use more energy as well.
7. Helps Lower Your Blood Pressure
If you struggle with high blood pressure, protein can help lower it as well.
High blood pressure can put you at more of a risk for heart attacks, kidney disease, and strokes. To avoid these, you could start taking higher levels of protein.
8. It Helps With Aging
Protein can also help decrease the effects of aging. As you age, your muscles start to weaken, but protein can actually help you build up those muscles again.
As you age, you could suffer from sarcopenia, which is one of the leading causes of frailty, bone fractures, and having a lower quality of life.
Eating protein can actually help prevent sarcopenia, and it can help keep your muscles from deteriorating as well.
9. Protein is in Each Cell in Your Body
You have trillions of cells in your body, but did you know that each one of them has some protein in it?
Protein is one of the most common substances in your body, whereas water is the most.
That shows just how important it is to have it.
Discover More Facts About Protein
Hopefully these facts about protein help to motivate you to get enough protein in your diet.
It can really help you have a healthy lifestyle and enhance your workouts as well.
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