5 Signs of a Protein Deficiency + How to Fix

Protein is essential for everyone, whether you’re a weekend warrior, trying to lose weight, or an athlete. In this day and age of high-protein, low-carb diets, you’d think that protein deficiency is uncommon, but you’d be shocked how many people skip out on this powerful macronutrient, especially those who are intermittent fasting or limiting calories.

Recognizing your protein insufficiency allows you to swiftly counteract the potential harm that severe protein deficiency might cause your body. 

Let’s understand some protein deficiency symptoms and how to treat them.

What is protein deficiency?

A protein deficiency occurs when your protein consumption falls short of your body’s needs. Protein deficiency affects an estimated one billion individuals globally. A protein deficiency disorder affects all physiological systems and is associated with a variety of symptoms.

A decrease in protein consumption will result in a change in body composition. After a set amount of time, this will eventually lead to a serious problem. The most frequent kind of protein-deficient disorder is kwashiorkor.

Why is protein important?

Protein is as essential to the body as oxygen and water! This is because proteins make up a majority of the body’s contents. Hormones, muscles, tissues, the immune system, and even blood are all affected by protein intake levels. Many people limit the significance of proteins to muscles, although they have other functions as well. These proteins are composed of smaller components known as amino acids, which have crucial functional purposes.

Protein has twenty amino acids, of which nine are essential. Nonessential amino acids need not be taken into the diet as the body can synthesize them. Histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine are essential amino acids that have to be provided from the diet.

Causes of protein deficiency

Hypoproteinemia is another term for protein insufficiency (a condition in which a person has very low levels of protein in the blood).

In terms of protein requirements, each person is unique. Your body weight, gender, age, and level of activity or exercise all influence how much protein is best for you, and your requirements will most likely vary from day to day.

Proteins are used every day to keep the body going. Because they’re needed to develop, grow and maintain just about every part of our bodies from our skin and hair to our digestive enzymes and immune system antibodies, they’re constantly broken down and must be restored via foods in your diet. The lack of proteins causes various problems in your body.

If you don’t consume enough protein daily, you may begin to notice a deterioration in your overall health.

Signs and symptoms

Protein deficiency symptoms vary based on how severe the condition is. However, there are some red flags of low protein symptoms worth considering for a true deficiency :

1.Appetite changes

Poor appetite is a significant symptom of protein deficiency disease. But sometimes, even vice versa will happen. Inadequate levels of protein will increase your appetite and tempt you to consume more. This increases the calories and results in body weight gain or obesity.

2.Decreased immunity

It increases infections and makes the body easily prone to various diseases. Reports state that even a marginally low protein level will impair the functioning of the immune system and its response to cause these signs of protein deficiency.

3.Loss of muscle mass

The muscles are the body’s largest reservoir of protein. When the body runs short of protein, the muscles start reducing. These signs of protein deficiency occur in all age groups, but the condition recovers with protein intake.

4.Skin, hair, and nail problems

Protein deficiency often has an impact on the hair, nails, and skin as they are largely made of protein. Protein deficiency disease symptoms include

• Flakiness, red patches, depigmentation on the skin
• Thinning, color, and loss of hair
• Brittle nails

5.Edema

Edema is a disease characterized by swollen and puffy skin caused by protein deficits. It is caused by low levels of albumin, the most prevalent protein in the blood. The swelling in the skin occurs because lack of protein results in reduced oncotic pressure, which causes fluid to accumulate in the tissues. A protein deficient condition can also cause fluid buildup in the abdomen, resulting in a bloated stomach in rare cases.

How Much Do You Need?

The best way to get all the essential amino acids you require is to include protein-rich foods in your meals. This applies to both people who eat animal sources of protein as well as plant-based eaters. Protein needs are based on your age, sex, health history, and how much exercise you typically do in a day.

The requirement of protein varies from person to person but the standard set by RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) is 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight. Having this adequate amount of protein can prove really beneficial for your body and can save you from protein deficiency.

The Top Protein Foods

What matters the most is that you include all nine necessary amino acids in your diet on a regular basis. All of these amino acids are found in complete protein sources. Overall, consuming a variety of plant and animal-based foods is the best way to obtain adequate protein. This method is known as the flexitarian diet.

1.Vegetarian and vegan

Vegetarian and vegan protein options that still provide a good deal of amino acids include all types of beans and legumes, especially mung beans, and lentils; nuts and seeds, such as almonds, flax, and chia. It’s an added bonus if you consume sprouted nuts, legumes, and grains since this helps make amino acids more absorbable once eaten.

2.Non-vegetarians

For meats, the best forms of protein you can be getting are going to be things like grass-fed beef, organic chicken and turkey, and wild-caught salmon.

3.With the help of supplements

When it comes to using protein powders, several new and noteworthy types have recently hit the market. There is a wide range of protein powders to effectively fulfill different needs. And also come with many benefits that they each provide.

Conclusion

From this blog, you would’ve understood the importance of protein for your body to function properly. If you are not able to get enough protein from your diet, try BigFlex’s Protein Powders. We have a range of reliable products that will provide your body with the right amount of nutrients. All our products are high quality, genuine and authentic. That is why you get only the best BCAA protein online, mass gainer online, and whey protein at the best price with effective results at your doorstep when you make an order with us.