How much protein should we consume? An extension!
Dr. Jeethan Bendoor
M.B.B.S.
Private Practitioner, Metabolic and Anti-ageing Enthusiast, Mumbai
Correspondence: E-mail: drbendoor@gmail.com
In my previous blog "Importance of Proteins", in the section "How much protein does one need?" I published what the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR's) dietary allowance (RDA) recommendations is: the basic protein required by an adult Indian is 1 gram of protein/kg body weight/day (P/kgBW/D) (1)
Let me take that recommendation a bit further, based on recently published data (2) and extend that recommendation to the following adult population:
- If you are sedentary, aim for 1.2–1.8 g/kg ideal body weight/day.
- If you are of healthy weight and active and wish to keep your weight, the recommendation is: 1.4–2.0 g/ kg/ideal body weight/day.
- If you are of healthy weight and active and wish to build muscle, aim for 1.6–2.4 g/kg ideal body weight/day.
- If you are of healthy weight and active and wish to lose fat, aim for 1.6–2.4 g/ kg ideal body weight/day, and lean towards the higher end of this range as you become leaner.
- If you are overweight, aim for 1.2–1.5 g/kg ideal body weight/day.
- If you are pregnant, aim for 1.7–1.8 g/ kg/day.
- If you are lactating, aim for at least 1.5 g/kg/day.
Please note: You should measure your body composition and muscle strength. Both are important. I’ll talk about that in another blog
References:
- Mahajan M. Protein Consumption in Diet of Adult Indians : A General Consumer Survey (PRODIGY). Indian Medical Gazette 2015:149–150.
- https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/ Last accessed 24 November 2024.
