Protein

What do you think about when you hear the word protein? Maybe it's an ad for some protein shake
that promises massive muscles? Or is it the last high-protein diet craze you read about? With all this
talk about protein, you might think Americans were at risk for not eating enough. In fact, most of us
eat more protein than we need. Protein is in many foods that we eat on a regular basis.
This section will help you learn more about protein. You'll find information about what foods have
protein and what happens when we eat more protein than we need.
To continue, check out the following topics:
What is protein?
What are the types of protein?
How much protein do I need?

What is Protein?

Proteins are part of every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies. These
body proteins are constantly being broken down and replaced. The protein in the foods we eat is
digested into amino acids that are later used to replace these proteins in our bodies.
Protein is found in the following foods:

meats, poultry, and fish

legumes (dry beans and peas)

tofu

eggs

nuts and seeds

milk and milk products

grains, some vegetables, and some fruits (provide only small amounts of protein relative to
other sources)

As we mentioned, most adults in the United States get more than enough protein to meet their needs.
It's rare for someone who is healthy and eating a varied diet to not get enough protein.

What are the types of protein?

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Think of amino acids as the building blocks. There are 20
different amino acids that join together to make all types of protein. Some of these amino acids can't
be made by our bodies, so these are known as essential amino acids. It's essential that our diet
provide these.
In the diet, protein sources are labeled according to how many of the essential amino acids they
provide:
A complete protein source is one that provides all of the essential amino acids. You may also
hear these sources called high quality proteins. Animal-based foods; for example, meat,
poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese are considered complete protein sources.

An incomplete protein source is one that is low in one or more of the essential amino
acids.Complementary proteins are two or more incomplete protein sources that together
provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids.

For example, rice contains low amounts of certain essential amino acids; however, these same
essential amino acids are found in greater amounts in dry beans. Similarly, dry beans contain lower
amounts of other essential amino acids that can be found in larger amounts in rice. Together, these
two foods can provide adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids the body needs.

Quick Q& A
Is it true that complementary proteins must be eaten together to count as a complete
protein source?
In the past, it was thought that these complementary proteins needed to be eaten at the same
meal for your body to use them together. Now studies show that your body can combine
complementary proteins that are eaten within the same day.1

How much protein do I need?

Maybe you've wondered how much protein you need each day. In general, it's recommended that 10
35% of your daily calories come from protein. Below are the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
for different age groups.2

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein

Grams of protein

needed each day

Children ages 1 3

13

Children ages 4 8

19

Children ages 9 13

34

Girls ages 14 18

46

Boys ages 14 18

52

Women ages 19 70+

46

Men ages 19 70+

56

Here are examples of amounts of protein in food:

1 cup of milk has 8 grams of protein

A 3-ounce piece of meat has about 21 grams of protein

1 cup of dry beans has about 16 grams of protein

An 8-ounce container of yogurt has about 11 grams of protein

Added together, just these four sources would meet the protein needs of an adult male (56 grams).
This doesn't count all the other foods that add smaller amounts of protein to his diet.
Rather than just focusing on your protein needs, choose an overall healthy eating plan that provides
the protein you need as well as other nutrients.

ChooseMyPlate.gov Daily Food Plan lets you enter your age, sex, weight, height and physical activity level to g
Is there any harm in getting more protein than I need?

Most people eat more protein than they need without harmful effects. However,
protein contributes to calorie intake, so if you eat more protein than you need, your overall calorie
intake could be greater than your calorie needs and contribute to weight gain.
Besides that, animal sources of protein can be sources of saturated fat which has been linked to
elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease.
In addition, for people with certain kidney diseases, a lower-protein diet may be recommended to help
prevent an impairment in kidney function.

Source: NIH Medical Encyclopedia

To help you get the amounts of protein you need:

Compare the amount of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, and seeds you are eating per
day to what is recommended. As an example, if you refer to MyPlate Daily Food Plan , a 48year-old female who is active less than 30 minutes a day only needs about 5 ounces each day
from the protein group. Some pre-cut slices of meat and poultry, such as a pork chop or
chicken breast, can be four to five ounces each. You can see how it would be easy to eat too
much.

Save your money and don't buy the protein supplements. If you're healthy, you probably get
all the protein you need from your diet.

To help you make lower-fat protein choices

Choose meats that are leaner cuts and trim away any fat you can see. For chicken and turkey,
remove the skin to reduce fat.

Substitute pinto or black beans for meat in chili and tacos.

Choose low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt.

Choose low-fat or fat-free cheese.

Choose egg whites or pasteurized egg white products.

What if I am a vegetarian?
Because some vegetarians avoid eating all (or most) animal foods, they must rely on plant-based
sources of protein to meet their protein needs. With some planning, a vegetarian diet can easily meet
the recommended protein needs of adults and children.
Choosemyplate.gov provides meal planning tips for vegetarians .

Sources
1

Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets. JADA, 2003;

103(6) 748 765.

2

Source for Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) reference and RDAs: Institute of

Medicine (IOM) Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids,
Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. This report may be accessed viawww.nap.edu *

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
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Protein is found throughout the bodyin muscle, bone, skin, hair, and virtually every
other body part or tissue. It makes up the enzymes that power many chemical reactions
and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood. At least 10,000 different proteins
make you what you are and keep you that way.

The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of
protein for every kilogram of body weight per day (or 8 grams of protein for every 20
pounds of body weight). (1) The Institute of Medicine also sets a wide range for
acceptable protein intakeanywhere from 10 to 35 percent of calories each day. Beyond
that, theres relatively little solid information on the ideal amount of protein in the diet
or the healthiest target for calories contributed by protein.

In the United States, the recommended daily allowance of protein is 46 grams per day
for women over 19 years of age, and 56 grams per day for men over 19 years of age. (2)

Around the world, millions of people dont get enough protein. Protein malnutrition
leads to the condition known as kwashiorkor. Lack of protein can cause growth failure,
loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory
system, and death.
All Protein Isnt Alike

Protein is built from building blocks called amino acids. Our bodies make amino acids in
two different ways: Either from scratch, or by modifying others. A few amino acids
(known as the essential amino acids) must come from food.

Animal sources of protein tend to deliver all the amino acids we need.

Other protein sources, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds, lack one or more
essential amino acids.

Vegetarians need to be aware of this. People who dont eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or
dairy products need to eat a variety of protein-containing foods each day in order to get
all the amino acids needed to make new protein.
The Protein Package

Some high-protein foods are healthier than others because of what comes along with the
protein: healthy fats or harmful ones, beneficial fiber or hidden salt. Its this
protein package thats likely to make a difference for health. For example, a 6-ounce
broiled porterhouse steak is a great source of proteinabout 40 grams worth. But it also
delivers about 12 grams of saturated fat. (3) For someone who eats a 2,000 calorie per
day diet, thats more than 60 percent of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat.

A 6-ounce ham steak has only about 2.5 grams of saturated fat, but its loaded with
sodium2,000 milligrams worth, or about 500 milligrams more than the
daily sodium max.

6-ounces of wild salmon has about 34 grams of protein and is naturally low in sodium,
and contains only 1.7 grams of saturated fat. (3) Salmon and other fatty fish are also
excellent sources of omega-3 fats, a type of fat thats especially good for the heart.

Alternatively, a cup of cooked lentils provides about 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of
fiber, and it has virtually no saturated fat or sodium. (3)
Protein and Chronic Diseases

Proteins in food and the environment are responsible for food allergies, which are
overreactions of the immune system. Beyond that, relatively little evidence has been
gathered regarding the effect of theamount of dietary protein on the development of
chronic diseases in healthy people.

However, theres growing evidence that high-protein food choices do play a role in health
and that eating healthy protein sources like fish, chicken, beans, or nuts in place of red
meat (including processed red meat) can lower the risk of several diseases and
premature death. (2, 4-8)

Cardiovascular disease

Research conducted at Harvard School of Public Health has found that eating even
small amounts of red meat, especially processed red meat, on a regular basis is linked to
an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, and the risk of dying from cardiovascular
disease or any other cause. (4, 6, 8) Conversely, replacing red and processed red meat
with healthy protein sources such as poultry, fish, or beans seems to reduce these risks.

One investigation followed 120,000 men and women in the Nurses Health Study and
Health Professionals Follow-Up Study for more than two decades. (6) For every
additional 3-ounce serving of unprocessed red meat the study participants consumed
each day, their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease increased by 13 percent.

Processed red meat was even more strongly linked to dying from cardiovascular disease
and in smaller amounts: Every additional 1.5 ounce serving of processed red meat
consumed each dayequivalent to one hot dog or two strips of baconwas linked to a 20
percent increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease death.

Cutting back on red meat could save lives: the researchers estimated that if all the men
and women in the study had reduced their total red and processed red meat intake to
less than half a serving a day, one in ten cardiovascular disease deaths would have been
prevented.

In terms of the amount of protein consumed, theres evidence that eating a high-protein
diet may be beneficial for the heart, as long as the protein comes from a healthy source.

A 20-year prospective study of over 80,000 women found that those who ate lowcarbohydrate diets that were high in vegetable sources of fat and protein had a 30
percent lower risk of heart disease compared with women who ate high-carbohydrate,
low-fat diets. Diets were given low-carbohydrate scores based on their intake of fat,
protein, and carbohydrates. (9) However, eating a low-carbohydrate diet high in animal
fat or protein did not offer such protection.

Further evidence of the heart benefits of eating healthy protein in place of carbohydrate
comes from a randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for
Heart Health (OmniHeart). A healthy diet that replaced some carbohydrate with healthy
protein (or healthy fat) did a better job of lowering blood pressure and harmful lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol than a similarly healthy, higher carbohydrate diet.
(10)

Similarly, the EcoAtkins weight loss trial compared a low-fat, high -carbohydrate,
vegetarian diet to a low-carbohydrate vegan diet that was high in vegetable protein and
fat. Though weight loss was similar on the two diets, study participants on the high
protein diet saw improvements in blood lipids and blood pressure. (11)

A more recent study generated headlines because it had the opposite result. In that
study, Swedish women who ate low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets had higher rates of
cardiovascular disease and death than those who ate lower-protein, higher-carbohydrate
diets. (12) But the study, which assessed the womens diets only once and then followed
them for 15 years, did not look at what types of carbohydrates or what sources of protein
these women ate. That was important because most of the womens protein came from
animal sources.

Diabetes

Again, protein quality matters more than protein quantity when it comes to diabetes
risk.

A recent study found that people who ate diets high in red meat, especially processed red
meat, had a higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who rarely ate red or processed
meat. (7) For each additional serving a day of red meat or processed red meat that study
participants ate, their risk of diabetes rose 12 and 32 percent, respectively.

Substituting one serving of nuts, low-fat dairy products, or whole grains for a serving of
red meat each day lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by an estimated 16 to 35
percent.

Another study also shows that red meat consumption may increase risk of type 2
diabetes. Researchers found that people who started eating more red meat than usual
were found to have a 50% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the next
four years, and researchers also found that those who reduced red meat consumption
lowered their type 2 diabetes risk by 14% over a 10-year follow-up period.

More evidence that protein quality matters comes from a 20-year study that looked at
the relationship between low-carbohydrate diets and type 2 diabetes in women. Lowcarbohydrate diets that were high in vegetable sources of fat and protein modestly
reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes. (13) But low-carbohydrate diets that were high in
animal sources of protein or fat did not show this benefit.

For type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile or insulin-dependent diabetes), proteins

found in cows milk have been implicated in the development of the disease in babies
with a predisposition to the disease, but research remains inconclusive. (14, 15)

Cancer

When it comes to cancer, protein quality again seems to matter more than quantity.
Research on the association between protein and cancer is inconclusive, but some data
shows that eating a lot of red meat and processed meat is linked to an increased risk of
colon cancer. (2)

In the Nurses Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, every
additional serving per day of red meat or processed red meat was associated with a 10
and 16 percent higher risk of cancer death, respectively. (6)

A 2014 study showed that higher consumption of red meat during adolescence was
associated with premenopausal breast cancer, suggesting that choosing other protein
sources in adolescence may decrease premenopausal breast cancer risk. (22)

People should aim to reduce overall consumption of red meat and processed meat, but
when you do opt to have it, go easy on the grill. High-temperature grilling creates
potentially cancer-causing compounds in meat, including polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines. You dont have to stop grilling, but try these
tips for healthy grilling from the American Institute of Cancer Research: Marinate meat
before grilling it, partially pre-cook meat in the oven or microwave to reduce time on the
grill, and grill over a low flame.

Osteoporosis

Digesting protein releases acids into the bloodstream, which the body usually
neutralizes with calcium and other buffering agents. Eating lots of protein, then,
requires a lot of calcium and some of this may be pulled from bone.

Following a high-protein diet for a long period of time could weaken bone. In the Nurses
Health Study, for example, women who ate more than 95 grams of protein a day were 20
percent more likely to have broken a wrist over a 12-year period when compared with
those who ate an average amount of protein (less than 68 grams a day). (16) This area of
research is still controversial, however, and the findings have not been consistent. Some
studies suggest that increasing protein increases risk of fractures; others have linked
high-protein diets with increased bone-mineral density, and thus stronger bones. (17-19)

Protein and Weight Control

The same high-protein foods that are good choices for disease prevention may also help
with weight control. Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health followed the diet
and lifestyle habits of 120,000 men and women for up to 20 years, looking at how small
changes contributed to weight gain over time. (20)

Those who ate more red and processed meat over the course of the study gained more
weight, about one extra pound every four years, while those who ate more nuts over the
course of the study gainedless weight, about a half pound less every four years.

One study showed that eating approximately one daily serving of beans, chickpeas,
lentils or peas can increase fullness, which may lead to better weight management and
weight loss. (21)

Theres no need to go overboard on protein. Though some studies show benefits of highprotein, low-carbohydrate diets in the short term, avoiding fruits and whole grains
means missing out on healthful fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients.
References
1. Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein,
and Amino Acids (Macronutrients). 2005, National Academies Press: Washington, DC.
2. Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. 2007, World Cancer Research
Fund, American Institute for Cancer Research.: Washington, DC.
3. Agriculture, U.D.o., USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 14. 2005.
4. Bernstein, A.M., et al., Major dietary protein sources and risk of coronary heart disease in women. Circulation,
2010. 122(9): p. 876-83.
5. Aune, D., G. Ursin, and M.B. Veierod, Meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and metaanalysis of cohort studies.Diabetologia, 2009. 52(11): p. 2277-87.
6. Pan, A., et al., Red meat consumption and mortality: results from 2 prospective cohort studies. Arch Intern Med,
2012. 172(7): p. 555-63.
7. Pan, A., et al., Red meat consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: 3 cohorts of US adults and an updated metaanalysis. Am J Clin Nutr, 2011. 94(4): p. 1088-96.
8. Bernstein, A.M., et al., Dietary protein sources and the risk of stroke in men and women. Stroke, 2012. 43(3): p. 637-44.
9. Halton, T.L., et al., Low-carbohydrate-diet score and the risk of coronary heart disease in women. N Engl J Med,
2006. 355(19): p. 1991-2002.
10. Appel, L.J., et al., Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum
lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial. JAMA, 2005. 294(19): p. 2455-64.
11. Jenkins, D.J., et al., The effect of a plant-based low-carbohydrate (Eco-Atkins) diet on body weight and blood lipid
concentrations in hyperlipidemic subjects. Arch Intern Med, 2009. 169(11): p. 1046-54.
12. Lagiou, P., et al., Low carbohydrate-high protein diet and incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Swedish women:
prospective cohort study. BMJ, 2012. 344: p. e4026.
13. Halton, T.L., et al., Low-carbohydrate-diet score and risk of type 2 diabetes in women. Am J Clin Nutr, 2008. 87(2): p.
339-46.
14. Akerblom, H.K., et al., Environmental factors in the etiology of type 1 diabetes. Am J Med Genet, 2002. 115(1): p. 18-29.
15. Vaarala, O., et al., Removal of Bovine Insulin From Cows Milk Formula and Early Initiation of Beta-Cell
Autoimmunity in the FINDIA Pilot Study.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 2012.
16. Feskanich, D., et al., Protein consumption and bone fractures in women. Am J Epidemiol, 1996. 143(5): p. 472-9.
17. Darling, A.L., et al., Dietary protein and bone health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr,
2009. 90(6): p. 1674-92.
18. Kerstetter, J.E., A.M. Kenny, and K.L. Insogna, Dietary protein and skeletal health: a review of recent human
research. Curr Opin Lipidol, 2011. 22(1): p. 16-20.
19. Bonjour, J.P., Protein intake and bone health. Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 2011. 81(2-3): p. 134-42.
20. Mozaffarian, D., et al., Changes in diet and lifestyle and long-term weight gain in women and men. N Engl J Med,
2011. 364(25): p. 2392-404.
21. Li SS, Kendall CW, de Souza RJ, Jayalath VH, Cozma AI, Ha V, Mirrahimi A, Chiavaroli L, Augustin LS, Blanco Mejia
S, Leiter LA, Beyene J, Jenkins DJ, Sievenpiper JL. Dietary pulses, satiety and food intake: a systematic review and metaanalysis of acute feeding trials. Obesity, 2014. Aug;22(8):1773-80.
22. Farvid MS, Cho E, Chen WY, Eliassen AH, Willett WC. Adolescent meat intake and breast cancer risk. Int J Cancer,
2014.

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