A life-threatening protein deficiency is almost impossible in Germany. However, too much fat and carbohydrates compared to protein in the diet can cause problems. Your body uses these six warning signs to signal that it needs more protein.
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6 Warning Signs Your Body Needs Protein
1. Cravings
If you regularly feel hungry between main meals or tend to have food cravings, a lack of protein could be to blame. Because among the three macronutrients, proteins enjoy a certain special position. In contrast to carbohydrates and fats, our body meticulously ensures that we are getting enough protein through food. This phenomenon is also known as protein hunger or the protein effect: our body keeps signaling us “hunger” until we have covered about 15 percent of our daily energy requirement with protein. The drive to have enough protein has already been proven in numerous scientific experiments and studiesshown. In these, meals with different protein contents are usually put together and served to the test subjects. While with protein-rich dishes, saturation sets in relatively quickly and the participants stop eating. It is exactly the opposite with the protein-diluted meals: the subjects continue to eat until their protein hunger is satisfied.
Tip: Cover at least 15 percent of your energy needs with proteins to prevent hunger pangs – at 2000 calories a day that would be 70 to 80 grams of protein .
2. Your muscles atrophy
If you’re not making any progress in strength training, or your muscles are actually getting smaller and weaker, your diet could be to blame. Because muscles consist of protein fibers and water, which is why a sufficient supply of protein from the outside is necessary to maintain and build muscles. Our body needs all the essential amino acids for effective muscle building after intensive strength training sessions– the components that make up high-quality proteins. Therefore, lean animal protein sources such as poultry, eggs or low-fat milk are particularly good for our body. However, vegetable proteins are on a par with animal proteins if they are put together in suitable combinations throughout the day, for example soy yoghurt for breakfast is an excellent supplement to the amino acids in wholemeal bread for dinner. If you are missing such high-quality vegetable protein combinations or animal proteins, it is quite possible that your muscles will not grow any further or will even be broken down.
3. Water retention
This sign hardly ever occurs in Western nations. In less prosperous countries, however, as a result of malnutrition and severe protein deficiency , children in particular suffer from what is known as a water belly. This is symptomatic of the deficiency disease kwashiorkor – a simultaneous lack of energy and protein from food. In the case of a manifest protein deficiency, more water is stored in the tissue, which causes edema. In addition to malnutrition or malnutrition, certain types of cancer and liver diseases can also lead to water retention in the abdomen – called ascites – or on the legs.
4. You get tired when you exercise
A protein deficiency can be noticeable not only in strength training and muscle building, but also in endurance sports. Because our body also needs amino acids to regenerate after an intensive running session or bike tour. This is the only way to repair damaged muscle cells. In addition, protein promotes the replenishment of muscle glycogen stores with carbohydrates, which means that you are ready for the next run faster. Is your mileage average getting worse instead of better while jogging? Do you have sore muscles for days with the same training intensity? This could be due to insufficient protein intake. Therefore, make sure to include healthy omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseed or fish as well as long-chain carbohydrates from wholemeal products in addition to a sufficient intake of protein from high -quality protein sources .
5. Your immune system is weakening
While we humans can easily get by without carbohydrates and fats for a few days or weeks because our body has the appropriate glycogen stores and fat reserves, the situation is very different with protein. Although there is a small so-called “amino acid pool” – this only comprises about 100 grams of the protein components that we can fall back on in times of need. Therefore, after a few days at the latest, our muscles, from which the body takes the necessary protein, and the immune system suffer. Because certain enzymes and hormones that are necessary for the immune system are also made from amino acids. If the protein intake from food is insufficient, this can lead to a weakened immune system and make you more susceptible to pathogens.
Important: Although advertising and the many high-protein products in our supermarkets suggest it, according to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) , excessive protein intake does not lead to additional benefits. Although an increased intake is not harmful for adults with healthy kidneys, you could unintentionally store fat if you overdo it with the protein products and thus generate a calorie surplus. Stick to the guidelines of at least 0.8 grams of protein and no more than 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight , depending on whether you are building muscle or not.
6. Your wounds heal more slowly
In addition to oxygen, a wound, eg an abrasion or a cut, also needs nutrients as building material for the tissue to be repaired and newly formed. Malnutrition can therefore delay wound healing, which is why an adequate supply of vitamins, minerals and, above all, the macronutrient protein is essential. Because the individual amino acids that make up the food proteins are needed to build connective tissue and promote cell growth. If there is now a protein deficiency or a severe undersupply of proteins, the wound heals more slowly and the risk of infection increases. In addition to protein, the minerals iron, zinc , calcium and copper also play a major role in wound healing, as does theVitamins A , C, E and K
The best nutrition guides
If you would like to find out more about which sources of protein are particularly healthy and productive or which fatty acids are essential for survival, we can only recommend the following nutritional advice. It not only gives you practical everyday tips, but also explains the nutritional background in a way that is easy to understand.
