Optimal Amount Of Protein And Best Sources

[Francisco]

I know the general recommendation by Dr. Peat is between 80g and 120g (if I am correct) per day. Is it okay to exceed that, especially if you are trying to recover from malnutrition?
Also, what are the best sources? If I have 2 cups of milk or so + 2 tbsp of gelatin + 1/2 pound of 93% lean beef, would that be good? Or maybe a quarter pound of beef?
I don’t want to overload on cysteine, phosphate, or tryptophan, or iron.

 

[Cirion]

Track temps, pulses, weight changes etc. Some can certainly tolerate more than others but watching these markers can objectively tell you some things. Beef is lowest in tryptophan, milk is pretty high, while gelatin has zero. For me excess use of animal protein quickly crushes my temps/pulses, but I can't say the same will happen to you. In general, adding gelatin to any protein source (should) alleviate some of the problems though. I would say, that protein is definitely needed for recovery, so try to get a healthy amount from sources you can tolerate. Potatoes can be great for protein actually too. I am currently experimenting with yogurt. Greek yogurt is quite high in tryptophan though.

 

[lampofred]

Too much protein can be difficult to digest for a hypothyroid person. Both too much and too little protein drop my temps. As Cirion said the best way to determine how much protein to eat daily would probably be to track pulse and temps.

 

[nbznj]

I'd say start with .5g/lb, maybe .6 for someone who lifts, stick to half the chosen amount in fats, and carb up

 

[Francisco]

I'd say start with .5g/lb, maybe .6 for someone who lifts, stick to half the chosen amount in fats, and carb up

I currently weigh between 120-135 (it varies, I haven’t weighed myself in over a week). I am 5’ 11”.
As you can tell I am very underweight.
I don’t know how much protein I should consume given those metrics.

 

[MetabolicTrash]

I currently weigh between 120-135 (it varies, I haven’t weighed myself in over a week). I am 5’ 11”.
As you can tell I am very underweight.
I don’t know how much protein I should consume given those metrics.

If you're that light and inactive on top, probably not much -- the Ray Peat minimum is probably fine. I think it is when you lift more and have more muscle mass that protein comes a bit more in to play.

I topped out at 130-150+g a day, but at that point back then I think it was excess. I probably would need no more than ~100 max currently at 155-160 with some minor training that I do.

If you start lifting (if you don't already) add more protein little by little and try to find a good sweet spot. I'm trying to find mine still too, as my diet has varied so much over the years in protein (down from 20g a day all the way to likely excessive 150+).

As for sources, try low fat dairy/milk and low PUFA/low mercury seafood if you eat that. Also try low PUFA, no soy protein bars/shakes/etc. (hard to find though). Last, there is some possibly acceptable plant or pea proteins and other meats like lean beef, occasional chicken and etc. that you can eat with gelatin sources added.

Most people who work out and aren't very small/light should get at least 80-100, give or take, I'd say (or for the average person who exercises).

 

[baccheion]

Looking into testing that checks nitrogen balance. It will more precisely estimate how much protein you need.

I'm in the 0.8-1.2 grams per POUND of LEAN body mass, with 0.7 being the minimum. The RDA is set to 0.8 grams per KILOGRAM of OVERALL body mass (1.2 for seniors).

 

[Cirion]

The myth of 1 g/lb: Optimal protein intake for bodybuilders

 

[DrJ]

For me, casein works very well as a protein shake. Easy to digest, not much bad about it if you get one without additives.