does anyone knows how many grams of protein should an average person eat a day? - Diet & Nutrition Message Board

theraveneffect · 06-05-2004, 09:59 PM

topic^^^- also is it a bad thing to take more protein than expected?

girlygirl11 · 06-06-2004, 08:24 AM

Many reliable sources I've checked have said basically the same thing- a normal helathy person (not a bodybuilder or anything) needs anywhere from 0.36-0.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day. (ie- if you was 120 lbs, you would need probably 60 or so grams of protein per day (2 oz.). Yeah I know that seems like a little- I had the same reaction! The reality is, we probably get more than our recommended intake naturally everyday!
There is a danger that comes with having too much protein. This causes your liver and kidneys to work harder, which eventually could cause problems with those organs. (But I don't think they mean "too much" is 3 oz. vs 2 oz...I think its more like if 80% of your diet is protein). Also, having too much can cause excretion of minerals such as calcium and other amino acids (which are best IN your body, not out!).

Laurie2 · 06-06-2004, 11:47 PM

It's about one gram per pound of lean body mass. I weigh 175, 5'6"/largeboned and lift for strength....I should eat about 130 grams a day whenever possible to help build muscle mass during exercise. No, I am not a bodybuilder...just someone that found an exercise I liked to combine with a good nutritious diet.

Drink plenty of water to help flush your system, eat other nutritious foods as well. The body needs the extra protein with building muscle and it does improve your immune system. The extra protein is needed to help keep your metabolism up while eating 5-6 smaller meals a day and to help your body when doing any exercise.

modert · 06-07-2004, 05:12 PM

Another easy formula is to simply consume about 25-30% of your daily calories as protein. This typically works out to about 1 gram of protein per pound.

The RDA for protein is only .8 grams per kilogram of body weight (which is 2.2 lbs), and the Kidney foundation recommends 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The problem with these formulas is that if you consume too little protein, then you are probably overeating carbs and fat. I have had this debate with my nephrologist, and he agrees with me - you need to keep it in perspective of your total caloric intake and 25-30% is just fine.

Another thing to consider is that the body won't absorb more than 25 grams of protein in one sitting. So you are better off eating smaller portions more often - you will not maximize the full benefit of the protein if you eat 50 grams of protein in a single meal (example: a huge steak).

Angel a falling · 06-13-2004, 04:05 AM

If your body won't absorb more than 25 grams at a time then does it get eliminated from the body or stored as fat?

Regards,