Why Protein is Important | A Closer Look at Protein Powders, Protein Shakes, and Protein Calculators
Protein is made up of amino acids fused together by peptide bonds. The body can synthesize many amino acids from other sources, but there are nine amino acids which it cannot synthesize. These nine amino acids are needed to build protein, and in order to do that, they all need to be present simultaneously.
The inability of our body to produce these amino acids is what makes them essential amino acids, meaning, we must get them from our diet. The fact that they need to be present simultaneously in order to build protein, means we need to be consuming more complete proteins at each meal.
So, what’s a complete protein?
What about protein?
You hear a lot in the media about tracking calories, lowering cholesterol, and ditching sugar.
But protein somehow gets undermined in many traditional medical practices, and I want to change that.
Hi friends. I’m Hilary Beckwith, ex-dieter and holistic nutrition expert. Over the course of my work and studies, I’ve learned just how important dietary protein is. Not only the amount of protein but the quality of protein.
In this article, you’ll learn:
benefits of eating enough protein
how protein impacts your mood and mental health
recommended protein intake
what might be preventing you from digesting dietary protein
ways to add protein to your meals
Follow my email feed to stay up-to-date on new articles like this one. Click here to subscribe.
health benefits of protein
Two factors determine the quality of any dietary nutrient, including protein:
Your body’s ability to digest a food and absorb its nutrients
The quality of food you’re consuming
You can be using all the protein powders, downloading all the best protein calculator apps, eating protein foods, and downing protein drinks. But if your digestive health is not up to par, and you’re consuming the same heavily processed protein powder every day, you might as well be flushing your money down the toilet.
WHY DOES YOUR BODY NEED PROTEIN?:
NEUROTRANSMITTER PRODUCTION - Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers similar to hormones, that regulate mood. Certain amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are precursors to neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and epinephrine (adrenaline).
Tryptophan: precursor to serotonin
Tyrosine: precursor to catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine)
Glutamine: precursor to glutamate from which GABA can be synthesized
D-phenylalanine: inhibits the enzyme that breaks down endorphins, hormones that “relieve pain, reduce stress, and improve mood.”(1)
ANTIBODY FORMATION - Antibodies are formed as part of your body’s adaptive immune system. When an antigen is present, antibodies multiply in order to fight the invader and also have the ability to remember the antigen should it ever come back again (2). These antibodies are formed from proteins.
MUSCLE BUILDING - Similar to bones, muscles go through a process of breaking down and rebuilding. Resistance exercise causes the muscle tissues to break down, then muscle protein is synthesized post-workout to repair and rebuild the muscle tissue even bigger than before (3). Amino acids are necessary for this process to occur.
NUTRIENT TRANSFER ACROSS CELL MEMBRANE - Channel proteins (see Figure A, below) are formed from amino acid subunits to create a tubular structure that is nestled within the cell membrane to allow nutrients to travel in to and out of the cell.
COLLAGEN IS NEEDED FOR HEALTHY JOINTS, SKIN, NAILS, AND HAIR - Collagen is the most abundant form of protein in your body, and according to Cleveland Clinic, accounts for 30% of your body’s protein (4).
CARRIES OXYGEN THROUGHOUT THE BODY - Hemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that binds to oxygen in the lungs and carries it to cells and tissues throughout the body as needed. the word globin describes a colorless protein that when bound to heme (iron), becomes hemoglobin.
Figure A - Image found on this website
To sum it all up, the benefits of getting a wide variety of quality protein in your diet, include:
improved mood and mental wellness
healthy skin, hair, and nails
improved arthritis symptoms (or prevents arthritis altogether)
good energy throughout the day
helps you feel more satiated at meals, reduces cravings
supports immune function
supports muscle formation in conjunction with resistance training
recommended protein intake for women
Many researchers agree that the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is based on inconclusive research, and yet has been the RDA for over 70 years (5). All the more confirmation we need to understand that no RDA suits all bodies.
However there has been further research that suggests that protein intake higher than the RDA is more beneficial, and that RDA values are not considered optimal.
Currently, the RDA for protein for individuals (male- and female-bodied) 18 years or older, is 0.8g per 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of body weight.
For a 150 lb individual, this equates to about 54.5 grams of protein daily. Based on what I’ve learned about how the body uses protein, I would argue that this is too little.
Apart from the protein functions discussed earlier in this article, one of the more prominent impacts I see in my clients who consume inadequate or low-quality protein is on blood sugar levels. Protein itself does not influence blood sugar metabolism (although protein can be converted to glucose by the liver if needed). But by not consuming enough protein, my clients turn more to carbohydrates in the form of starches or sugars.
Each body has unique health needs, and it’s important to consider that blanket statements like these may not apply to your body. But for my typical client, one who is struggling with adrenal issues (sleep, energy, troublesome or irregular periods, PMS symptoms), has PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome), or is dealing with gut pathogens like bacterial overgrowth, candida overgrowth, or parasites, I recommend 90 grams of protein per day.
Protein enables you to feel more satiated and slows the breakdown of food, which in turn does help with blood sugar levels. This effect is not going to come from your vegan protein powders or protein drinks, as those are generally made from starchy protein food sources like pea protein, and loaded with a number of other heavily processed ingredients.
Satiation and the slower breakdown of food is going to come from consuming high-quality whole-food forms of protein, paired with good digestive health.
So, what is a high-quality protein?
complete protein vs. incomplete protein
Protein is made up of amino acids fused together by peptide bonds. The body can synthesize many amino acids from other sources, but there are nine amino acids which it cannot synthesize. These nine amino acids are needed to build protein, and in order to do that, they all need to be present simultaneously.
The inability of our body to produce these amino acids is what makes them essential amino acids, meaning, we must get them from our diet. The fact that they need to be present simultaneously in order to build protein, means we need to be consuming more complete proteins at each meal.
So, what’s a complete protein?
A complete protein is a food that contains all nine essential amino acids. Or a combination of foods that collectively contain all nine essential amino acids.
The nine essential amino acids include histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
MY BEEF WITH VEGETARIAN DIETS (I will keep this brief)
Some might be angry with me for saying this, but I’ve looked at a lot of solid research over the years that supports what I’m about to say.
Vegetarian, and especially vegan diets, even the healthiest whole-food plant-based diets, simply do not provide enough bioavailable complete protein without consuming mountains of starchy carbohydrates.
… Stepping off my soap box…
how to get more protein in your diet
Increasing protein without addressing gut health is a recipe for disaster. If you have digestive symptoms like bloating, fatigue after meals, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn or indigestion, or excess and prolonged fullness after eating, it’s important to get your digestion back on track before you can properly digest protein.
Once digestion is up to par, increased protein will help with muscle building, fatigue, blood sugar levels, mood, and food cravings.
Here are a few ideas to help you out:
START YOUR DAY WITH ANIMAL PROTEIN AND GREENS - Prioritizing green, leafy vegetables and animal protein will keep you full until lunchtime without that need for a pick-me-up in between. Here are some examples of what I typically eat for breakfast:
sauteed, finely chopped broccoli + 2 eggs or leftover protein from dinner last night + sauerkraut
finely chopped cabbage and onion + salmon fillet
root vegetable hash (shredded root vegetables + diced, cooked brisket or sausage + topped with a fried egg) - prioritize less starchy vegetables like radishes, beets, and kohlrabi
chopped dandelion greens, sauteed with chopped onion + top with favorite high-quality dressing (make your own, or my favorite is PCC’s house-made Green Goddess) + leftover steak
NUTS AND SEEDS - Nuts and seeds are a great way to add protein to your day, whether as an isolated snack, or adding to a meal.
Add sprouted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to any soup, breakfast dish, or salad. I keep a jar on my countertop so they’re always easily accessible.
Switch up your crackers and coffee for a handful of mixed nuts and a string cheese as a high-protein snack.
Nut and seed butters are available now in go-packs. Artisana and Justins are two of my go-to brands for this (no affiliation).
MEAL PREP PROTEINS FOR BUSY SCHEDULES - Meal prep is essential for anyone with a busy schedule who wants to eat healthier. Packaged options that are minimally processed are becoming more abundant, but there’s nothing quite as good (and in your control) than something prepared at home, with ingredients YOU selected. Here are some ideas:
boil and peel eggs for the week
fill a jar with mixed nuts to keep in your desk at work, or in your bag
make time for batch-cooking: Before I started working from home, I would batch-cook my lunches and snacks for the week, and portion them out so that I could just grab and go. Here are some meals I commonly made:
tuna salad with chopped greens
roasted non-starchy vegetables + chicken/steak/fish
soups (I would commonly add a scoop of cottage cheese to my warm soup for extra protein)
bento-box - sliced chicken or turkey, sliced or bite-sized vegetables (broccoli, cucumber, kohlrabi, radishes, turnips, etc.), nuts and seeds, cottage cheese, olives, pickled beets, sliced or string cheese, etc.
DITCH THE VEGAN PROTEIN POWDERS, AND SWITCH TO HIGH-QUALITY COLLAGEN AND AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTS - If supplementation is how you’re getting a chunk of your protein, consider ditching the heavily processed protein powders, protein drinks, and protein shakes. Here are some of my favorite products.
did you learn something new?
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
NUTRITION SERVICES
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
BLOG REFERENCES
C. C. medical. (n.d.-a). Endorphins: What they are and how to boost them. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23040-endorphins
Janeway CA Jr, Travers P, Walport M, et al. Immunobiology: The Immune System in Health and Disease. 5th edition. New York: Garland Science; 2001. The structure of a typical antibody molecule. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27144/
Kwon, Y. sub, & Kravitz, L. (n.d.). How Do Muscles Grow?. How do muscles grow? https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/musclesgrowLK.html#:~:text=Muscle%20growth%20occurs%20whenever%20the,controlled%20by%20complimentary%20cellular%20mechanisms.
Cleveland Clinic medical. (n.d.). Collagen: What it is, types, function & benefits. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23089-collagen
Wolf, R. R., Cifelli, A. M., Kostas, G., & Kim, I.-Y. (2017, March 10). Optimizing protein intake in adults: Interpretation and application of the Recommended Dietary Allowance compared with the acceptable macronutrient distribution range. Advances in Nutrition. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831322007165