It might be the algorithms I’m getting (I follow a lot of cooking and some exercise channels) but I’ve never seen a similar obsession about getting enough fiber (something the average person actually undereats.) Is it just less sexy than meat? How important is it nutritionally compared to other things if you’re not an athlete or a vegan or something? Why is a meal that’s “high in protein” often positioned as good and why do you need to “boost” your meals?
Source: https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/too-much-protein-health-risks
In: Biology
American here.
The American diet is carb heavy.
No, your average American is not consuming the adequate daily amount of protein and they wouldn’t know the correct amount. Their macronutrient ratios (proteins, fats, carbs) are imbalanced in the wrong direction.
Sure, Americans may like their steaks or hamburgers or bacon or chicken wings, but they aren’t consuming that protein consistently. It’s not like they’re eating steak or hamburgers every day. Hamburgers are also consumed alongside high carb intake, and bacon isn’t a scalable protein source because of the fats.
Repeating what others have said – the only regular people who generally have a solid understanding of dietary and nutritional requirements are highly active, often people who exercise a lot : I’m one of them. Most people aren’t active enough or exercise enough
Protein’s amino acids are critically responsible for body maintenance, repair, and muscle growth. Those amino acids are only found in protein. Muscle growth occurs from high protein intake beyond your RDA. That leaves repair and maintenance. If somebody isn’t eating their RDA, the body sortof cannibalizes itself by taking from existing muscles and body sources, resulting in muscle loss among other longer term health consequences.
Lastly, eating veggies/fruits won’t provide your body with the amino acids that protein provides. You’d need to be eating high volumes of legumes to match animal protein sources, which is hard to do, and your average person doesn’t know how to do that or what the right amount would be. Vegetarians/vegans can often suffer from significant nutrient deficiencies.
Latest Answers