Protein diet: what it is and when it can be useful

Protein diet, one of the most popular at the moment for those who want to maintain their figure and support their muscle mass. In fact, unlike any low-calorie diet, which often causes you to lose weight to the detriment of the muscles themselves, the protein diet is an eating style based on a consistent daily intake of proteins.

This would allow us topreserve or build a good body composition, increasing lean mass – muscles, in fact – in favor of a decreasing fat mass.

Be careful, however: as in any diet, you must avoid any exaggeration and eat foods as varied as possible. In fact, a diet with a medium-high daily dose of protein can be ideal, for example, for a sports person. On the contrary, a high-protein and unbalanced diet is not too healthy, especially if it completely bans carbohydrates.

There are several examples, in recent years, of low-carb diets, which favor a different macronutrient rather than the much maligned carbohydrates. The paleo and the ketogenic diet, for example, are both based on a low intake of sugars and a more substantial intake of fats and proteins.

Proteins, the "building blocks" of our muscular system

But what are proteins for? To put it very simply, if carbohydrates are more or less rapidly released energy and lipids are a good emergency reserve, proteins are excellent "bricks" with which our body is able to build muscles, and more. They are essential for the proper functioning of the organism, starting from the immune system.

These are molecules composed of smaller elements, the so-called amino acids. A peculiarity of proteins is the fact that they cannot be stored, which is why it is important to consume them every day through diet.

Protein diet: which foods to favor?

But which foods are best to consume to get the right dose of protein every day?

The RDA – Recommended Dietary Allowance – for an average adult with a sedentary lifestyle is approximately 0.8g of protein for every kg of weight: simply multiply your weight by 0.8. For example, a 70kg man will need to consume around 56g of protein every day.

This recommended dose does not take lifestyle into account: an athlete or a person who needs to tone muscles or build lean mass can increase this parameter, always without exceeding, in the order of 1-1.5. The extreme maximum, for athletes and bodybuilders at a competitive level, is around 2g per day, a dose not recommended for any "normal" person who does simple moderate physical activity.

The foods richest in proteins are those of animal origin, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. For those with a vegetarian lifestyle, vegano or for lactose intolerant, obviously, the variety of consumable protein foods decreases but there are good substitutions and combinations of foods.

Even vegetables and dried fruit, in fact, contain small quantities of proteins, just as soy and legumes are useful sources of vegetable proteins.

Pros and cons of the protein diet

There are those who believe that by abusing proteins or eating only protein foods they will achieve rapid weight loss and the automatic construction of a sculpted and muscular body... this is not the case. Virtue always lies in moderation and awareness: meeting your daily protein needs is essential and very important, especially for athletes. But the diet must always be varied and not completely exclude some macronutrients.

Exaggerate with protein intake, from foods or even worse from perhaps unnecessary protein supplements, can tire the kidneys, which manage the amount of excess protein in the body.

There could also be nutritional deficiencies, of vitamins, minerals and fibre, caused by an inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables, because they are seen as simple carbohydrates.