Insufficient protein can be very harm full to the body as it causes atrophy of muscles to set in ,Irritability ,fatigue and lethargy also enema and immune system suppression can occur .
A large protuberant belly and dermatitis which lead to permanent discoloration of the skin can occur and in severe cases coma can fatal.
A typical western diet provides a good deal more protein than most people require .
The bad news is if excess protein is consumed the excess is excreted by the kidneys and the other part is then converted to fat the body can only utilize 20g-30g.
Recommended in take per day
Requirement for a sedentary person is .75g/kg body weight per day
Requirement for strength and endurance athletes or higher is 1.2-1.5g/kg /day should be sufficient.
So if you are an office worker with no much physical work and you weigh 79kg then your protein requirement will be: 79kg*0.075g=59g/day
Protein should make up 10-15% of total energy intake
Proteins are classed into: Functional and structural proteins, structural proteins include the muscles, bones and nails and functional include the enzymes and hormones.
Protein can also be used as an energy source providing 4kcal/g however due to the wide range of other roles protein plays; it is not a major source of energy in normal circumstance.
Proteins contain carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen which are made up of single building blocks known as amino acids.
Proteins are built from amino acids of which there are 20 different types .Eight of which cannot be manufactured by the body and therefore must be consumed in the diet.
Therefore protein levels above the recommended amount will not enhance performance but can damage kidneys and lead to an accumulation of toxic ammonia in the blood.
