Whey overdone?
Protein is a vital macronutrient made of long chains of amino acids, the building blocks of every cell in the body. It plays a key role in nearly all bodily structures and functions, including the growth and repair of muscles, bones, skin and hair.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight — or 0.36 grams per pound. For a 150-pound person, that’s 54 grams of protein daily.
The latest health craze beefs up protein intake to extremes — up to 100 grams a day — in the name of losing weight and gaining lean muscle.
That’s the equivalent of four eggs, one can of tuna, three beef meatballs, 2 ounces of turkey bacon and 3 ounces of turkey breast, according to CNET.
Jillian Kubala, a registered dietitian based in Westhampton, NY, recently called 100g a “perfect amount for many people, including people who are physically active and engage in regular exercise, like me.”
UK nutritionist Emily English said she eats 100g a day to feel “properly satisfied without overthinking it.”
But fitness entrepreneur Tracy Anderson, personal trainer to Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow and other stars, isn’t a fan. She “cannot stand” the protein-maxxing trend.
“Eating 100 grams of animal protein a day? It is vomitous to me,” Anderson, 50, told The Cut this week. “It’s dirty, and it’s bad for the environment, and it’s harmful to the animal, and the people, in my opinion, look terrible.”
Excessive protein intake can cause serious health problems over time.
For example, it can alter the composition of urine and increase the risk of kidney stones.
And more saturated fat from red meat has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
Experts have also warned that overconsumption of protein can negatively affect the environment by increasing greenhouse gas emissions, depleting water resources and expanding land use.
“I’ve been vegan a couple of different times in my life, and I will never eat a four-legged animal again,” Anderson said.
“When I was on world tours with Madonna, I had young Thai coconuts shipped to me wherever I was, and I was hacking them off with a machete and drinking them.”
If you don’t have access to Thai coconuts, beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, edamame, nuts, seeds, quinoa, oats, nutritional yeast, seitan (wheat-based meat substitute) and spirulina (a type of algae) are great vegan protein sources.
Vegans and vegetarians need to make sure they get enough protein. Signs of insufficient protein consumption include swelling of the stomach, legs and hands, brittle or falling hair, dry skin, fatigue and sometimes jaundice.
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