10 Facts About Protein You Did Not Know
We all know protein is essential for muscle and fat loss but unless you spend your days researching nutrition like I do, you likely don’t know these 10 important facts about this important macronutrient.
1)Calories
One gram of protein provides 4 calories of energy. Note that when we are counting grams of protein, we are not referring to grams of food but rather grams of protein within that food. For example, 1 oz (28g) of chicken is not 28g of protein. Rather, that 1 oz piece has 8.8g of protein within it.
2)Thermic Effect
Protein is harder to absorb than fat or carbohydrate so the body requires more energy to digest and use protein. Therefore, one of the benefits of eating more protein is that your metabolism naturally increases.
3)Stomach Acid is Key
Our stomach naturally produces hydrochloric Acid (HCl). One of the functions of this stomach acid is to digest protein. Stomach acid decreases with age, stress and other factors. As a result most adults have low stomach acid. Though you may eat enough protein, if you have low stomach acid, you are not absorbing that protein. This impairs digestion and ends up creating expensive ‘poop’. This can be easily resolved with supplementation but you should test your stomach acid first.
4)1g Per lb of Ideal Body Weight
How much protein do I need? Simply put, the more muscle you have, the more protein you need. To preserve muscle mass, you should consume a minimum of 0.7g per lb of ideal body weight. However, if your goal is to increase muscle mass and burn fat your goal should be to consume 1g per lb of ideal body weight. In other words, if you are 200 lbs and want to weigh 175 lbs, you should consume 175g of protein per day. This can be a challenge with just meat and beans so supplementing with protein powder is the best solution.
5)Controls Insulin & Blood Sugar
Insulin is a hormone that if left unchecked leads to a list of health problems. You have direct control over your insulin through your diet. For example, the more carbs you eat in a meal, the more insulin you release and the higher the blood sugar. The more protein you add into that meal, the lower the insulin and blood sugar. If your goal is to lose fat or prevent diabetes and other metabolic disorders, eating protein is a must to control your insulin.
6)Supports Liver Detoxification
With all the hype about protein being important for muscle growth and fat loss we have missed the fact that protein is absolutely essential for liver detoxification. Specific essential amino acids like glycine, cysteine and methionine are critical for optimal detoxification.
7)Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s)
Leucine, isoleucine and valine are BCAAs that are very important to anyone who trains hard in the gym or in sport. They are key amino acids that support muscle growth and recovery by stimulating muscle protein synthesis and reducing muscle soreness after exercise. Specific BCAA products like DFH Amino Acid Supreme exist to maximize muscle growth and recovery.
8)Meat vs Beans
Animal protein is superior to plant protein because it contains all the essential amino acids that our body requires. You can obtain all the essential amino acids from plants but you need to pair different foods together at each meal. Furthermore, if your goal is body composition (ie: burning more fat), you may have a harder time doing it through only plant protein. This is because weight loss means controlling carbohydrate (and insulin) and beans are more of a carb than they are a protein. 1 oz of lentils has 4g of carbs and 2.6g of protein. Whereas 1 oz of chicken breast has 0g of carbs and 8.8g of protein.
9)Quality of Meat is Important
If meat is your primary source of protein, make sure it is of the highest quality. Always buy local and look for terms organic, free range, grass fed or pastured. If buying fish, look for it certified by MSC or Ocean Wise. The alternative factory farmed cheap meat and fish is not doing your body, animals or the earth any good. Factory farmed animals are fed highly toxic foods (stored in their fat that you consume and then store in your fat), maximize square footage (more disease and medications that you then also store as toxins in your fat) and create concentrated waste that damages our soil and pollutes water systems.
10)Satiety
Protein is highly satiating, helping to control appetite and reduce overall calorie intake. This makes it beneficial for weight management, as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer periods. You will notice this if you ever eat a high carb meal, you will feel hungrier sooner. But with protein, you will last longer and have better energy for longer.
Final Thoughts
No matter your health goals or your age, getting enough good quality protein is paramount to maintaining muscles, detoxification pathways and good overall health. To make it easier to get more protein follow these habits:
- Eat protein at each meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Supplement with protein powder and amino acids
- Balance your stomach acid if it is low
- Spend time preparing high protein meals twice a week. Make it non negotiable time like your workouts
- If you eat low protein, increase it slowly to allow your digestive system to adapt
For more support on protein or how to do your stomach acid email Josh@NovaHealthClub.com
