66 Jan/Feb 2018 oxygenmag.com.au
Find out just how much protein you need and how
you can easily hit the required levels in your daily diet.
How much protein is
TOO MUCH?
BY ASHLEIGH
FELTHAM, APDASHLEIGH FELTHAM is an
Accredited Practising Dietitian
and owner of Feed Your Future
Dietetics. Ashleigh is passionate
about helping people achieve their highest quality of
life through nutrition, mental health, and exercise.
In addition to being an APD, Ashleigh is a qualified
personal trainer and group fitness instructor with
more than 10 years’ experience. For more information
see http://www.feedyourfuturedietetics.com or follow her on
Instagram or Facebook at Feed Your Future Dietetics.I
f you think you need to have a cup-
board full of protein supplements to
get enough protein to achieve results,
you’re not alone — but what you may
not realise is that, in most cases, this is incor-
rect. Protein is a major nutrient that your body
needs to build and repair the cells in your
body.So how much protein do you
need in a day?
The answer is most people need between
70 and 120 per cent of their body weight in
protein (in grams) to meet their daily needs —
so if you are a woman who weighs 60kg, you
need 42-72g of protein across a day.
There are a few occasions however when
you will need increased amounts of protein,
and these are in the earlier stages of life
(during times of fast growth in children and
adolescents), during pregnancy, during illness
and post-surgery, and for athletes competing in
power sports such as weightlifting in the early
stages of their training regime.How much protein can food give
your body?
Is it possible for the food and beverages you
consume to provide enough protein to meet
your daily needs or is a protein supplement
worth the cost and, for some of us, taste? The
list of options here shows you how much of
certain foods you’d need to eat for 10 grams of
protein, followed by an example of what this
could look like as meals and snacks over a day
to meet your protein needs.
As you can see, if you eat a balanced diet that
includes some wholegrains and a lean source
of protein in most meals, you can easily reach
70 to 120 per cent of your weight in grams of
protein in a day.
Before you reach for the supplements, try
looking at your overall diet and, if needed,
make some tweaks here first. The benefits
whole foods can give your body are far greater
than what a supplement can provide — and
you will save a lot of money choosing ‘realfood’ over supplements as well. Unfortunately,
consuming more protein does not mean more
or quicker results. Your body can only process
between 20 and 30 grams of protein at most
in a meal.What happens to the excess protein?
Any excess protein you eat is stored as fat.
This is why, in most cases, taking additional
supplements is not needed, and in some cases
can add unnecessary energy (calories) to your
diet, which can make it even harder to achieve
the results you desire.
To help prevent some cancers, such as upper
digestive tract and kidney cancer, an upper
limit of 25 per cent of your total daily calories
from protein sources — or 2g/kg/day or
around 120g of protein — is recommended.
Some research has shown increased risk of
developing other types of cancer, such as breast
cancer, with a high intake of protein, but there
is not enough evidence to set an upper limit.
You may have also noticed supplements have
been front and centre in the media for all the
wrong reasons. Some supplements have been
found to contain additional ingredients that
have not been disclosed on the packet. This
may lead to you unintentionally provide your
body with ingredients or substances that may
make you sick or, if you are an athlete, can
even spike a drug test.Take-home message
By choosing whole foods and beverages over
supplements, you can, in most cases, easily
meet your required protein needs to achieve
the results you desire. Remember, whole foods
provide your body with far greater health
benefits than a supplement can.
If you need assistance to create a diet that
meets your individual needs and gives your
body all the protein it requires for results, seek
the support of an Accredited Practising
Dietitian who can help you to succeed in
achieving long-term results.