Protein is an important macronutrient: it's something your body needs every day.
If you go too long without eating protein, your body will show signs of having serious problems, such as:
Feeling weak and hungry
Brittle hair and nails
Getting sick often
Mood changes
Trouble thinking
Weak muscles
It's important to keep in mind that not everyone who is protein deficient will experience all of these symptoms. At the same time, any of these symptoms could also come from other problems.
Feeling weak and hungry
Protein helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. It affects ghrelin, which is an important hormone responsible for regulating appetite. Without enough protein, your body will have difficulty building and repair itself. Hunger and weakness are a way for your body to tell you that.
Brittle hair and nails
Your hair and nails are made out of keratin and collagen, two of the most common types of protein in your body. And while strong, shiny hair and nails may look fabulous, they are not 100% necessary for survival. Faced with a protein shortage, your body may try to prioritize rebuilding other tissues, letting your hair and nails get brittle and weak.
Getting sick often
Your immune system needs protein to function. T-cells, white blood cells, and red blood cells are all made out of protein. Getting sick often could be a sign that your immune system lacks the resources it needs.
Mood changes
Mood goes hand in hand with hunger. Hungry and angry, or hangry, is a real thing. If your appetite is out of whack, then it's not surprising that you may find yourself in bad moods all the time.
Trouble thinking
Your brain consumes a ton of energy- about 25% of your daily caloric intake. Your body takes a lot of energy from protein. Without that energy, your body might prioritize resources away from high-level thinking, leaving you with just enough focus to watch TV.
Weak muscles
It goes without saying that your muscles need protein. If you are seriously deprived of the macronutrient, your body will have a hard time building and repairing protein, especially after a big workout.
Do you have to eat protein every day?
Everyone varies by how much protein they need, just like with any other nutrient. Most people don't need to eat protein every day, just most days. Fasting, or eating no food at all, is a common practice for a day or two at a time. One thing is definitely clear: you don't need to eat meat every day, or even at all. There are plenty of perfectly healthy plant-based protein alternatives, and they will provide all the macronutrients you need.
What to do if you think you aren't getting enough protein
First, look at the symptoms above. Do several of them apply to you? If "yes", then it could be protein deficiency, or it could be something else.
Second, ask yourself: how much protein have I been eating? If you haven't had any protein in a week, that's not good. But even if you've been eating some protein every day, your exact needs might differ. This is especially true if you recently started a new exercise regimen. If you have any doubts, talk to your doctor about the symptoms you are experiencing.
Factors affecting how much protein you need
Human beings vary widely in their protein needs, both compared to each other and within a single individual's lifetime. We covered this topic in another blog post.
Some of the main factors include:
Age
Sex
Activity level
Height & Weight
People who are older tend to need more protein, as muscle mass decreases with age.
Men tend to need more protein than women, as they have more muscle mass on average. Additionally, pregnancy causes an increased need for protein, as the developing fetus needs its own supply.
Athletes and bodybuilders need high amounts of protein, because they are constantly breaking down their muscles. This factor can easily trump the others.
People who are taller or heavier generally need more protein than people who are shorter or lighter.
For these reasons, there is no exact amount of protein that any individual should be eating per day. The FDA recommends 50 g of protein per day for adults, but this is only a rough average.
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