HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU NEED?
It is true, of course, that your body is built mostly of proteins. It is also true that proteins are vital nutritive elements and are absolutely necessary in your nutrition. Twenty percent, or more in some vital organs, of a cell’s composition is made up of protein. Since your body is constantly renewing and repairing its cells, you need lots of protein in your diet to supply all the needed amino acids, or “building blocks” for these repairs and the rebuilding of cells.
But how much is “lots”? 70, 100, 150, 200, or more grams a day, as advocated by many “experts”?
The growing number of responsible nutritionists in various parts of the world are coming to the realization that our present beliefs on the protein question are outdated and that the actual need for protein in human nutrition is far below that which has long been considered necessary. Furthermore, recent research has demonstrated that vegetable proteins, formerly believed to be incomplete and inferior to animal proteins, are actually biologically as good or better than animal proteins; and that good health can be sustained on a lesser amount of raw vegetable protein than animal protein.
First, a Finnish scientist, Dr. V. O. Siven, showed that our daily need of protein was only approximately 30 grams. Then the famous American scientist, Dr. R. Chittenden, arrived at similar results after long and extensive experiments with sportsmen and soldiers. He found that 35-50 grams of protein a day are sufficient to keep the nitrogen balance in the body. (This is the usual criterion for determining the protein requirement.) Dr. Chittenden has also shown that physical performance in sports and heavy strenuous work is better on a low protein diet. In 1946, Dr. D. M. Hegsted of Harvard University proved that the average person’s need for protein is 32.4 grams a day, if he uses mixed proteins from vegetable origin. If one-third of the protein intake is from milk, then the minimum protein requirement will be as low as 27.1 grams a day. The world-famous Swedish nutritionist, Dr. Ragnar Berg, whose works on nutrition are used as textbooks in many medical schools, did extensive research on protein needs and came to the conclusion that 30 grams of protein in the daily diet is a generous allowance. Finally, Dr. William C. Rose has shown that only 20 grams a day of mixed proteins (of which only about i/s are so-called “complete”) are sufficient for our needs.
Studies made in Germany by Professor K. Eimer showed that the performance of athletes improved after they switched from a daily 100-gram animal protein diet to a 50-gram vegetable protein diet. Japanese research showed that 25-30 grams of protein a day are sufficient to sustain good health.
Taking into consideration the great variation in protein need of each individual and the extra demands under conditions of stress or disease, a generous conclusion would be that 50-60 grams of protein daily, derived 75-80 percent from vegetable sources, are sufficient for optimum health. Proteins in excess of this amount are not needed by the body and are only burned as fuel for energy, and as an energy food proteins are inferior to carbohydrates and fats. The digestion of proteins in excess of this actual need leaves toxic metabolic waste products which contribute to self-intoxication and disease.
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Tags: General health