How much protein do humans need?

How much protein a person needs depends mainly on age, state of health and other external life influences (e.g. fitness level, addictive behavior). For a normally healthy person, the daily protein intake should be as follows: In the first year of life 2.5-1.3g protein per kg body weight. For children and adolescents, an intake should be kept above 1.0-0.9g/kg.

In adults between the ages of 19 and 65, the daily protein intake should not be less than 0.8g/kg body weight. Expressed in figures, this is 57-67g of protein per day. From the age of 65 onwards, the protein requirement rises again slightly to 1.0g/kg.

Protein is so important because it is made up of amino acids that control countless processes in the body and also form the basic substance of many cells. Furthermore, proteins are part of important messenger substances and enzymes, as well as an important part of the antibodies of the immune system. In order to cover the protein requirement, a combination of 2/3 plant and 1/3 animal proteins is recommended, because the most important thing is to take a favorable combination of the amino acids contained in the proteins.The biological valence of the proteins plays a special role, it indicates how many amino acids the body can form from the respective protein.

As an example: An egg has a biological valence of 100, 500g potatoes have a valence of 98 and when the two are combined, a valence of 136 is achieved. So it also depends on which proteins are consumed together. There are numerous information sites on the Internet about good protein combinations. A nutritionist can also help you to draw up a suitable diet plan. This topic could also be of interest to you: Protein powder

Protein-rich nutrition for vegans

Since proteins occur in almost all foods and also in countless vegetable products, a protein-rich diet is no problem even for Vegans. Also Veganer can obtain good biological values by combination of different food. As rule of thumb with the combination thereby in each case a food from the following three groups in a meal applies to use: Seeds and nuts Pulses and soy products Rice, grains and pseudo grains Because of these diverse protein sources, vegans usually automatically cover their daily protein requirements.

As mentioned above, the quality of a protein is determined by the amino acids that can be extracted from it. There are 22 amino acids in total. 13 of these can be produced by the body itself, the remaining 9 must be supplied with food.

With the vegetable proteins there are so-called complete proteins. These contain all 9 of these essential amino acids. Among the complete proteins are for example quinoa, soy products, chia seeds and buckwheat.

Seeds and nuts
Pulses and soya products
Rice, cereals and pseudocereals