How Much Protein Should You Consume?

 In the previous newsletter we discussed the importance of developing an alkaline pH in the body.  In addition to developing an alkaline pH adequate protein intake is a major fundamental aspect of achieving optimal health.  One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to measure dietary protein intake is by measuring grip strength with a dynamometer.  Some of you have already had this test in our office as a measurement of protein intake and malnutrition. 

According to the vast majority of nutrition textbooks, healthy individuals should ingest .8 g of protein per kilogram body weight every day.  Unfortunately, this calculation is not accurate for everyone, because we all have different activity levels, stress levels, and genetics.  Another flaw in this calculation is that some of the scientific literature shows that one must ingest 1.0 to 1.2 g of protein per kilogram body weight every day if there is a protein deficit.  Therefore, I prefer, on average, for those who are chronically ill to consume 1 g of protein per kilogram body weight every day as a minimum. 

If you wanted to calculate your protein needs using this average, you would first calculate your weight in kilograms.  2.2 pounds equals 1 kg. 

150lb/2.2= 68kg

68kg x 1.0g (protein) = 68grams protein/day

Another important factor in these calculations is the quality of protein.  Not all protein is created equal.  So, the amount of protein consumed is heavily dependent on protein sources.  Sometimes it can be difficult to get adequate protein intake from diet alone.  This is where protein and amino acids supplements come into the picture.  Before beginning any kind of protein supplementation, you should be sure that you are eating the highest-quality protein from food sources.  These include:

• Eggs (ideally organic and free range)
• Types of fish known to be relatively low in heavy metals.
• Chicken (ideally organic and free range)
• Noncommercial forms of red meats such as grass fed, locally raised beef, grass fed buffalo and grass fed lamb.
• Dairy products (ideally organic from locally raised dairy cows)
• Nuts and seeds, particularly almonds, pecans and walnuts (ideally organic)
• Legumes (ideally organic)
• Soybeans.

Since soy allergies are very common, this may be one of the foods on the list that you will need to avoid.  In addition, soy products tend to be highly processed.  Only soy products that are fermented such as tempeh and miso should be consumed as protein sources from soy.

Dairy is also problematic because of the high allergenicity, processing and reliability of sources.  Dairy can also be very hard to digest, contaminated with antibiotics, hormones and toxins from the cows.  Dairy is of course an excellent source of protein, but I recommend that the amount of protein consumed from dairy, should be minimal.

People are most willing to follow a dietary plan when there are a variety of food choices.  This is why I recommend both animal and vegetable-based protein sources eaten in rotation.

Vegan diets can also be a concern regarding protein for a few reasons.  If we review the primary protein source of a typical vegan diet in the , it is found that soy is the main protein source.  Unfortunately soy is low in sulfur-based amino acids.  This is important, because sulfur-based amino acids are required for optimal

liver detoxification, building of glutathione (a powerful antioxidant) and is used in tissue repair.  In addition, plant-based foods contain virtually all of the nutrients necessary for optimal health, with the exception of vitamin B12.  I find that many, many patients are deficient in B12, and therefore require supplementation.  Vegans must have a tremendous amount of knowledge for proper food combining and supplementation in order to achieve optimal protein and amino acids intake for a healthy body.

When it comes to protein and amino acid supplementation, there are a variety of healthy choices.  For those who can tolerate whey protein, I recommend Designs for Health's Whey Cool.  For those who cannot consume dairy I recommend dairy free, Paleomeal from Designs for Health, which is rice-based.  Pea and hemp protein sources can also provide high quality protein and amino acids.  Protein powder products are the most beneficial to those who have good digestive function.  For those who have impaired digestive function I like to use free-form amino acid products for direct delivery of protein building blocks into the system.  Some people require HCl or digestive enzymes, in order to optimize digestion and absorption of amino acids.

Please feel free to stop in any time to test your grip strength with our dynamometer to see if you are consuming adequate protein from your diet.