Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. They are one of the building blocks of body tissue and can also serve as a fuel source.
How much protein should I eat? The old rule of thumb, or the traditional way of thinking, states 70 grams of protein per day. However, according to recent studies, this turns out to be too much; 30 - 40 grams of protein per day would be better. Exceptions are for women who are pregnant, athletes, body builders and people that do heavy physical labor. For them 70-80 grams of protein per day is optimal. A person with kidney problems should only eat 20-30 grams of protein per day.
The standard calculation of 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is therefore too high. High-protein meals promote the growth of histamine and ammonia producing bacteria in the intestines. In a healthy situation, a properly functioning digestive system can process 20-30 grams of protein per four hours without negative effect. This of course differs per person, because health, physique, weight, gender, physical activity and the presence of digestive enzymes and stomach acid all influence this.
But sufficient dietary protein does not guarantee sufficient organically usable amino acids. Even if we get enough or even too much protein, there can be a relative protein deficiency due to insufficient digestion and absorption. A relative protein deficiency leads to edema (fluid build-up). A lack of protein results in low energy, weakens the immune system and causes depression.
Poorly digested proteins form toxins in the gut. Most people have a shortage of stomach acid due to stress, so that proteins do not digest properly. Undigested proteins rot and produce waste products that are very taxing on the body.
A method to digest proteins more efficiently is to reduce the amount of carbohydrates.
Proteins produce acidic juices during digestion. They digest slowly. Carbohydrates are digested quickly and require different enzymes than proteins. In combination, the opposing enzymes and digestive juices will compete and neutralise each other. As a result, the food will
not digest properly. It costs a lot of energy and rotting components are formed in the intestines. Most people get too much protein, or too little, because in the western diet protein has been replaced by carbohydrates.
The combination of carbohydrate and protein leads to the greatest increase in insulin.
High-protein foods, such as meat, fish, cheese, nuts or seeds, naturally contain a lot of fat. Fat has the quality of slowing down gastric activity so that food stays in the stomach longer and is digested better. The use of low-fat food is therefore not recommended because of insufficient digestion in the stomach.
Due to overconsumption of proteins, the body is left with a daily amount of excess proteins that it has nowhere to get rid of and that we have to excrete. During metabolism, these excess proteins take precedence over fat and carbohydrates, which are then stored away as body fat. In the forced breakdown of these excess proteins acids, such as sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid and nitrogen are formed. This negatively affects the acid balance of the body, leading to many degenerative and inflammatory diseases. So unless you have a highly active lifestyle, do heavy physical labor or are pregnant, it's best to keep protein intake limited to about 30-40 grams per day.