How Much Protein For A Normal Diet?

Proteins provide your body with structure, help build hormones and enzymes, maintain fluid and acid-base balance and act as a transportation system. Proteins belong to class of nutrients called macronutrients. Macronutrients contain calories, so they are able to provide your body with energy. There are two major ways to determine how much protein you should be eating on a daily basis.

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range

One of the ways to determine your protein needs is by following the acceptable macronutrient distribution range, or AMDR, for protein. The AMDR represents the percentage of calories that should come from the macronutrient protein. The AMDR for protein is 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories. Protein provides 4 calories per gram. For someone following a 2,000 calorie per day diet, their protein needs would range from 50 g to 175 g.

Protein and Weight

The other way to determine your protein needs is by weight. Because protein is important during growth and development, young adults between the ages of 14 and 18 should consume 0.85 g of protein per kg of body weight. For someone that is 120 pounds, this is equivalent to approximately 46 g of protein. As you age, your protein needs decrease slightly. Adults over the age of 18 should consume 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight. For an adult that is 150 pounds, this is equivalent to approximately 55 g of protein.

Types of Protein

Proteins are made up of structures called amino acids. There are a total of 20 amino acids, nine of which are essential. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be made by the body, and therefore must be consumed in the diet. Proteins are classified as complete or incomplete based on their amino acid profile.

Complete proteins are those that contain all of the nine essential amino acids. Complete protein sources include animal sources, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. Incomplete proteins are those that are missing one or more of the essential amino acids. Examples of incomplete proteins include fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts.

Considerations

It is important to remember that while complete proteins offer all of the essential amino acids, they do not all have the same effect on your health. In addition to protein, red meats also provide high amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat. When choosing complete proteins, opt for leaner types, such as chicken without the skin and salmon. Most of the incomplete proteins are plant-based and therefore do not contain significant amounts of fat or cholesterol.

Too Much Protein

Although consuming slightly more than the recommended amount of protein won't harm you, diets that are too high in protein can have negative health effects. High protein diets may contribute to high cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Protein foods also contain substances purines, which the body breaks down into uric acid. A diet that is too high in protein can lead to high levels of uric acid in the blood. High uric acid levels contribute to the development of kidney stones and a type of arthritis called gout.