How many grams of protein per day? - Raw Food Chat

giraffe · 02-27-2008

How many grams of protein does a person need per day if they are:

sedentary,
average,
or active?

male or female?
100 or 200 lbs?

20 years old or 55 years old?

How can these needs be met daily on the raw diet?

thank you! I have heard different ideas about how much protein we need.

Double Helix · 03-06-2008

Your protein requirements are pretty low, and it would be hard to get more than 10% of your calories from protein anyway, otherwise you'd be overeating fat.

Raw plant protein is far more efficient anyway, which is why we don't need so much. Animal products may have a lot of protein, but since it is denatured it isn't as effective. Besides that, animals get their protein through plant foods so by eating animals humans are getting the protein second hand, another inefficiency.

dandelion · 03-21-2008

There is also the fact that the body can recycle its own protein, that will reduce the need for extra dietary protein. I tend to believe that the body needs less protein when it gets sufficient nutrients (minerals especially) to add in the recycling. Anyone who can confirm?

RawFoodGrl · 03-21-2008

I have heard that the USDA reccomends 70 grams per day. However, that's also primarily cooked food. I have read that eating raw food, since the food is more easily digested and assimilated, only 35 grams is necessary.

While I believe this is probably true, I think it also depends on the person. I know I need more protien and fats than a lot of others on the raw food diet. It's really up to the individual, so you have to go by what your body needs.

All the protien needs can be met in a raw food diet! It's just about learning the sources. Recently someone else asked questions about protien and I think that subject was covered very well, a lot of good information.

I think also the protien needs change. I believe in the early stages of going raw, the body wants to completely detox and heal itself from years of eating less nutrient rich foods.

I've been in a healing situation for years, and noticed whenever there is a "reinjury" or "setback" my body requires much more protien. But I also am eating less protien overall than when I started.