How much protein

[kirstabelle]

Hi All,
Back in the day we were told to aim for 80g of protein a day. Currently it seems to be common to recommend 120-150-g. Is this based on any studies or anecdotal evidence of how people fare on 80g?

TIA

Kirsten

 

[MajorMom]

I get 120 grams of protein minimum a day, if I go lower than that consistently for 3 months my albumin dips a bit. The dietitian told me to keep at 120 grams a day. That's via protein shakes and protein coffee. Food is just extra and too much trouble to count.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

If I did 80 I wouldbe in deep shit.

 

[DianaCox]

My take is you need to figure out what YOU need - and don't go over with abandon. Excess absorbed protein is treated by the body as essentially excess absorbed calories - most of the amino acid can be recycled to acetyl-CoA and thus to glucose or fat. Plus, your kidneys will need to process the excess nitrogen. And if it comes from meat, you are likely also getting excess purines which can trigger gout.

 

[Munchkin]

Things change over time as we learn more. When I had surgery more than 10 years ago, I was told 80 gr per day. Now my doc says more than 100 based on the numbers he has seen from numerous patients and the recommendations he has gotten from those patients saying they felt they did better with higher protein. Start out and be willing to change as necessary over time.

 

[DuodenalSwitchaRoo]

Even with just a sleeve if I don't get at least 100g of protein a day I just feel off and starved to death....which leads to carb munching.