how much protein do you get?

[dimpylz]

I'm just wondering...is protein a concern for anyone? How about for athletes? What are your opinions? Also, what kind of protein do you consume? Do you go for all-natural protein from legumes, leafy greens, etc, or do you drink protein shakes?

Personally, I try to get about 10% of my calories from protein, and 15%-20% on strength-training days. I include protein-rich plants, but go more for protein shakes (even with only 10% calories from protein, that isn't easy to get on a vegan diet). My favorite kind is spiru-tein (soy protein) and I usually mix the shakes with a banana or another type of fruit, a little soy-milk powder, and water.

[Selu Gigage]

I don't know the exact figures but I am pretty sure I get enough.

I have a protein shake with soy milk every morning and I eat a ton of legumes and spinach.

I think there is a bit of a myth regarding how much protein one needs. Most folks in the western world consume twice as much protein as they need per day (or so I've read).

[soilman]

" Most folks in the western world consume twice as much protein as they need per day (or so I've read)."

From what I can figure out, they consume about twice as much, on average, as their recommended daily allowance. Since that is twice as much as they actually can get by on, that means they consume four times as much as they need.

[Selu Gigage]

Originally posted by soilman
" Most folks in the western world consume twice as much protein as they need per day (or so I've read)."

From what I can figure out, they consume about twice as much, on average, as their recommended daily allowance. Since that is twice as much as they actually can get by on, that means they consume four times as much as they need.

That's really interesting. It sounds like protein overdose. What are the side effects of such doses? I know that Atkin's diet followers can develope ketosis...

[holly golightly]

tons. i get more now than i ever did as a carnie. hopefully not too much tho, but i doubt it. i get it from tofu,legumes,peanutbutter, plus a bunch of other junk.

[soilman]

I don't think 4 times as much as you actually need is getting into overdose area yet. It is more effecient use of digestive resources to get energy from fats and carbohydrates; extra protein is converted to fats and carbohydrates -- but this consumes energy, so it is not as an efficient way of getting energy as eating fats and carbohydrates directly. It also produces waste products that are more toxic and more stress on liver and kidneys, to get energy from protein when you could be getting it from carbs and fats; but I don't think 4 times as much as the minimum you could get by on, is any problem -- unless of course you have a pre-exisiting liver or kidney disorder, such as gout.

Since protein is so essential for "human building materials," it is probably a damn good idea to get 1 and one half to twice as much as the minimum you could get by on. Especially for growing children.

[stonecrest]

i've read on a few veggie sites that getting excessive protein is actually the cause of osteoperosis, rather than a lack of calcium as you commonly hear. no idea which side of the coin is correct but the way i see it, just try to get enough calcium and not too much protein

[Brake4Squirrels]

People falsly believe that having strong bones means getting a large dose of calcium. It's much more than that. You have to be able to absorb it and hold on to it, with the help of sunlight, magnesium, excercise, and avoiding caffeine, and too much protein. Too much protein can steal calcium out of your bones and it just drains out of your body in urine. That's why milk calcium doesn't do much for you. It confuses me though because how is it that soymilk supposedly advertises having lots of calcium to make it as "good" as milk, but also has all that protein too.

I just read in Andrew Weil's book "Eating Well for Optimum Health" that even if vegetables have protein, we still can't use it as well as we can use animal protein, because we are genetically similar to animals. Our bodies can work with the molecules and re-arrange them easier, than the ones in vegetables. Vegetables aren't similar to us at all. Do you know what else? We share more DNA with mushrooms than with plants.

Anyway... for me, I don't worry a whole lot about protein because my needs aren't very high. Maybe if I were pregnant, I'd worry. I try to eat beans & rice, and cottage cheese as often as I can.

brake 4 sqrs

[LadyFaile]

actually i've read that calcium and protein go hand in hand and without enough of one you can't properly absorb the other, but likewise if you get too much of one. the key is balance. you need enough of both calcium and protein to benefit from either of them.
other side effects of too much protein.. heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, kidney stones, kidney disease, various types of cancer, etc...

this is from a peta site, www.goveg.com:
Meat and dairy products raise the acid level in human blood, causing calcium to be excreted from the bones to restore the body's natural pH balance. This calcium depletion results in osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones. The excreted calcium ends up in the kidneys, where it often forms painful stones. Kidney disease is far more common in meat-eaters than in vegans, and excessive protein consumption has also been linked to cancer of the colon, breast, prostate, and pancreas

only 2.5-10 percent of the total calories consumed by the average human being needs to be in the form of protein. The rule of thumb used by the National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board is .57 grams of protein for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. People under special circumstances (such as pregnant women) are advised to get a little more. Vegans should not worry about getting enough protein; if you eat a reasonably varied diet and ingest sufficient calories, you will undoubtedly get enough protein

here's another interesting fact from a different peta site:
No one has ever died of a heart attack with a cholesterol level below 150, and the average vegan has a cholesterol level of 128.

[Brake4Squirrels]

I want to point out that a lot of those problems (heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, etc etc) can come from too many carbohydrates. The body converts carbs to sugar, and to deal with all that sugar, the pancreas produces insulin. This is what causes mood swings, and those other problems. Protein and fat, along with carbs, helps slow down the body's response to and absorption of all that sugar.

Here's some stuff I found on calcium:

http://www.pcrm.org/health/VSK/VSK5.html

http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/MILK.HTM this one is about protein combined with calcium.

http://www.makingpages.org/health/ca...eoporosis.html that one has a little bit on that too