Article #07
Introduction
Protein is a micronutrient and is made of a chain of amino acids. Proteins can be found in a variety of plant and animal-based foods. They are essential because every cell in your body needs them to function properly. Your body needs protein to repair and generate new cells. Also, amino acids are very important during growth, pregnancy, childhood, and infancy periods. Proteins serve as a source of enzymes and hormones that affect how your body works.
Proteins contain amino acids, which are classified into two groups: Essential and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids can’t be manufactured by your body, while the non-essential ones can be produced in your body. Your body needs at least 22 amino acids, of which nine of these amino acids can’t be manufactured by your body. You need to supplement them by taking food rich in these amino acids, such as tofu.
What is protein deficiency?
Protein deficiency affects about one billion people in the world. The most affected countries are the developing countries such as South Asia and Central Africa. In severe cases, inadequate consumption of these important nutrients can lead to Kwashiorkor, a condition that mostly affects children.
Consuming enough proteins helps your body to function properly. How do you know that you’re not getting enough protein? Here are the signs and symptoms you should look out for.
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Getting injured easily & often
Proteins help in building and repairing body muscles. Lack of essential amino acids makes you to be more vulnerable to injuries. Studies done showed that people suffering from proteins deficiency are venerable to bone injuries. For example, people taking less than 0.8g/kg of their body weight are believed to have higher risks of getting bone fractures. Another study shows that distance runners who take enough vitamin D, calcium, and protein experience increased bone mineral density which prevents stress fractures.
Taking enough protein improves the body’s ability to absorb enough calcium, responsible for stronger bones. Exceeding the minimum requirement makes your body build and maintain bone density and strength. A study conducted showed that postmenopausal women who took higher animal-based proteins have stronger bones, and the risks associated with the hip fracture were minimal.
Losing Muscle Mass fast
You know you are losing muscle mass when you experience weight loss, but your clothes still feel tight. For example, you will notice that the fats are still there, but you’re losing weight drastically. As people age, they tend to lose more muscle mass because their hormones are also changing. Taking enough proteins helps in preserving lean mass as well as building new muscles.
Inadequate proteins intake can manifest itself by loss of muscle mass. Muscle mass, also known as muscle wasting, usually happens when the body is trying to recover. Taking adequate proteins not only prevents muscle loss but also helps in building and repairing damaged muscles. Research conducted showed that people who increased their protein intake and incorporated resistance training had increased muscle mass and strength compared to people who took inadequate proteins.
Weak immune system & Getting Sick easily
Protein is made of amino acids, which are responsible for building antibodies. Antibodies are very beneficial to the body because they protect it from getting infections like upper respiratory infections. Not taking adequate food rich in amino acids will make your body vulnerable to upper respiratory infections.
Foods such as fish contain zinc which helps in fighting against infections. If you’re getting frequent colds, you can adopt an eating pattern whereby you take a small portion of proteins at breakfast, a moderate portion at lunch, and a larger amount during dinner time.
Research conducted on cyclists and marathoners showed that those who doubled their protein intake during high-intensity training experienced fewer respiratory infections. Researchers concluded that high proteins intake prevents trained–induced impairments.
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Feeling tired and weak all the time
Did you know proteins play an important role in hemoglobin production? Most people think that only iron is responsible for hemoglobin production. Having enough hemoglobin in your body will make you feel energized. Most protein-rich food also contains a higher percentage of iron, and not taking enough will make you have fewer blood cells. Lack of enough hemoglobin can cause anemia.
If you constantly skip proteins in your diet, you can experience brain fog. Higher carbohydrates intake will make you feel sleepy most of the time. Also, not taking enough protein for longer periods will make your body start reducing the lean body mass. In return, you will feel tired and weak all the time. People who take enough protein-rich breakfast get energized throughout the day.
You are hungry all the time
Proteins are known to play an important role in controlling appetite. This is because they increase the production of hormones that signal your brain that you’re full. One study showed that people who took more protein on their breakfast experienced less craving than those consuming normal-protein meals.
Experts advise people to take more protein-rich food to curb food cravings. When you take more carbohydrates, your body takes less time to digest them. That means you will keep on feeling hungry even after taking a lot of carbohydrates. For example, if you take cereals for your breakfast, your blood sugars will spike then drastically decrease, making you crave more carbohydrates.
It’s recommended that you take 40% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 30% fats in every meal to stay full for hours. Taking protein-rich foods such as lentils, hard-boiled eggs, white meat, and plain Greek yogurt will curb unexplained hunger. Also, you can take protein supplements to control appetite.
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Sleeping Difficulties
Are you finding it hard to fall or stay asleep? It could be a sign that you’re not taking enough proteins. Insomnia also occurs when you’re stressed or when you’re in a distracting environment. Numerous studies have shown the relationship between difficulty in falling asleep and low protein intake. Most proteins have an amino acid known as tryptophan that is believed to promote better sleep. Tryptophan acts as a precursor of sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain. Hormones such as melatonin regulate your sleeping cycle. The more you take food rich in melatonin, the more you will have a better sleep. Tryptophan is found in higher amounts in protein foods such as milk, yogurt, eggs, and poultry.
It’s recommended to take food rich in tryptophan a few hours before going to bed to promote better sleep. Studies show that people who consumed a diet with a higher amount of protein experienced better sleep.
Hair, nail, and skin problems
Your hair, skin, and nails are made of proteins such as collagen and keratin. To have healthier hair, nails, and skin, you’re supposed to take food rich in keratin, such as eggs, salmon, beef, and liver. You might be having collagen deficiency if you notice that your once plump, glowing skin is now dry, dull, and flaky. Keratin and collagen play an important role in providing essential amino acids that promote healthier nails, skin, and hair.
Your body not only needs proteins to make new cells but also plays a vital role in repairing existing cells and tissues. For example, children suffering from Kwashiorkor experienced hair loss, discolored hair, hair thinning, flaky splitting skin, and discoloration of the skin. Keep in mind that this symptom mostly shows when you have severe proteins deficiency.
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Slow metabolism
Taking a higher protein diet boost metabolism and reduces appetite. This is because it increases the thermal effect and makes your body burn more calories. When your body is not getting enough proteins, it will compensate for the deficit by consuming the muscle mass. Reducing the lean body mass in return reduces the daily REE. Slow metabolism can make your digestive system to be more sluggish.
It’s recommended to include more proteins in your breakfast to increase metabolism and keep you energized throughout the day. You should also make sure that you’ve taken at least 1.2 grams per kg proteins to boost your metabolism.
Mood swings
There is a special connection between protein deficit and mood swings. There are essential amino acids present in proteins that stimulate the production of neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters allow the brain’s cells to communicate with each other efficiently. For example, if you eat fish, your body will break it down and produce the essential amino acid L-Tyrosine, which is responsible for the production of dopamine that prevents anxiety and mood swings.
Lack of proteins affects how your brain works by lowering the production of essential chemicals like serotonin. Serotonin and GABA are important amino acids that control our mood. If you constantly lack these essential amino acids, your might get anxiety or even depression. Also, low protein intake will make you feel hungry most of the time. When you’re hungry, you will feel tired and weak, making your mood swings change, and you easily get irritated. It’s recommended to eat protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken, eggs, and dairy to curb mood swings and irritability.
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Slow Healing wounds
You might be suffering from protein deficiency if your wounds heal slowly. Wound healing is a process whereby the body replaces injured cells and muscles with new healthy ones. When injured, your body will enter the protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) phase, whereby you cannot adequately absorb protein and energy. Protein-rich food contains essential amino acids, which speed up the production of new cells and tissue. If you are not getting enough proteins, your body will likely suffer from lean body mass loss, delaying wound healing.
Consuming a diet with a higher amount of protein ensures that you have enough amino acids for cell production, muscle repair, and skin formation, thus stimulating wound healing. Taking enough protein-rich foods also helps in fighting against infections as well as balancing body fluids. Don’t worry if you don’t take meat because you can still find protein in beans, nuts, seeds, dairy, and soy products.
Conclusion
It’s recommended to at least get 10% of your daily calories from proteins. Since your body can’t utilize all the nutrients at one time, you should spread the meals throughout the day. People who exercise are advised to eat at least 30 grams of protein after working out.
Some foods contain all amino acids, while you need to supplement some protein sources. For example, you can find all nine amino acids in meat, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy products, and soybean. Mostly, plant proteins lack some amino acids. Plants such as nuts and seeds, peas, and beans are incomplete protein sources. You’re supposed to pair different plant-based foods to ensure you reach the recommended requirements.
Vegans and vegetarians can still meet their daily amino acids requirement by taking a plant-based diet. If you strictly follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you should work extra hard and ensure you include plant-based protein in every meal. Plants such as lentils, peas, tofu, grains, quinoa, almonds, and hemp seeds are excellent proteins.
If you find it hard to reach the recommended protein target, you can take supplements commonly sold in powder form. Low proteins intake for a longer period can make you have the symptoms explained above. Keep in mind that the symptoms mentioned above could be a result of other underlying conditions. You can consult your healthcare provider if you need guidance.
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