Protein Requirements - Why Do We Need Protein

If you have or had a mother like most, you probably heard this a lot. “You need your protein!” But did you ever bother asking why? Do you even know why? Do you know what your daily protein requirements even are? This article is going to give you the five cent tour on what protein is good for, where you can get it and what typical protein requirements are.

Let’s start with what protein is good for. Why do we need it? I’m not going to bore you with what protein actually is (this large complex group or molecules) but get right to why you need it. Proteins actually serve a number of functions including transporting oxygen, contracting muscles, transporting electrons and also in aiding in photosynthesis. Without protein, your muscles don’t develop…period. Now, that doesn’t mean that you have to bulk up on beef burgers, as you can get protein from non meat sources and avoid all that fat and cholesterol, but you DO need protein to have a healthy body.

Okay, so where CAN you get protein from? Well, the most common sources of protein come from meats, poultry and even fish. However, if you’re against eating any living thing, you can get protein from various nuts. Peanuts and peanut better are excellent sources of protein. Dairy products, such as eggs, also have protein. A variety of beans also contain protein. A half a cup of boiled soybeans contains about 14 grams of protein.

And that brings us to the final piece of the puzzle. How much protein do we need? Believe it or not, the amount of protein that we need on a daily basis depends on many factors, including our age, height and body weight. This is not a one size fits all deal. For example, a five foot seven inch adult female should weigh about 135 pounds. At that weight, she should have between 27 and 50 grams of protein each day while and adult male of the same height should weight 148 pounds and get between 30 and 53 grams of protein each day. The hard part is actually designing a diet that makes getting that protein intake easy. For some people, keeping it low is the problem.

Check this site, you’ll find a great resource that will help you with YOUR protein requirements. 

Tags: protein requirement, protein