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The Truth Behind Protein Powders

by with No Comment Diet and Nutriion

Harnessing Health Benefits through Proper Consumption of Protein Powder

 Protein powders have surged in popularity as fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious individuals seek convenient ways to meet their protein needs. Understanding the truth behind protein powders can help you leverage their benefits effectively for your health and fitness goals. Protein is essential for building and repairing tissues, supporting immune function, and maintaining muscle mass. 

Consuming an appropriate amount of protein can aid in weight management by increasing satiety and promoting muscle growth, which in turn boosts metabolism. Protein powders offer a convenient way to supplement protein intake, especially for those with active lifestyles or dietary restrictions. Whey protein, derived from milk, is highly popular due to its complete amino acid profile and rapid digestion. Plant-based options like pea, hemp, or soy protein cater to vegan diets and offer comparable benefits. However, it’s crucial to consume protein powders in moderation and alongside a balanced diet. 

Excessive protein intake can strain the kidneys and lead to digestive issues. It’s recommended to consult with a healthcare professional or nutritionist to determine your protein needs based on factors like age, activity level, and health status.

 Incorporating protein powders responsibly into your diet can indeed support overall health and fitness goals. Whether you blend them into smoothies or bake them into snacks, protein powders offer versatility and potential benefits when used wisely. 

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Protein powder is an easy way to get more protein daily. You can blend it into a shake or smoothie, sprinkle it into your oatmeal or add it to baked goods like bread or muffins. Extra protein, combined with regular exercise, can help you gain muscle, change your body composition, or meet your daily protein needs.

Protein powder is versatile. It comes in an array of tastes and textures, from unflavored to chocolate, vanilla, or splashier choices like red velvet cake and snickerdoodle.

 You can choose plant-based powders made with hemp, soy, nuts, or peas. You can also select powders with whey or egg protein. Each protein powder has a nutrition label with a suggested serving size. In general, a serving is one to two scoops with the scoop that comes with the powder. It supplies 20-40 grams of protein.

How Much Protein Powder Should I Take?

The recommended dietary allowance for protein for healthy adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram (g/kg) of body weight; however, emerging research suggests that between 1.0 to 1.6g/kg may be needed for optimal health, especially for active people.This means a 150-pound person would need between 68 to 109 grams of protein per day. 

Athletes and highly active people need more protein. The International Society for Sports Nutrition recommends that those looking to build muscle need between 1.4 to 2.0g/kg (95 to 136g for a 150-pound person), and up to 3g/kg (204g for a 150-pound person) may be helpful for those doing high levels of resistance training.3 Protein consumption should be spread throughout the day for the most benefits. It’s recommended that you consume around 0.4 to 0.55g/kg per meal for muscle building, though the average healthy person not looking to build muscle may need less.

That said, it’s important to get protein from a variety of food sources, and powders should only be used as a supplement to food in your diet. Food-based protein sources also come along with other essential nutrients that support optimal health. Consider how much protein you’re already getting in your diet, and then use protein powders as a way to fill any gaps.

Do you really need protein powder?

Yes, your body absolutely needs protein. Especially if you’re stepping it up with your workouts, you want to make sure you’re getting the right amount throughout the day. But you can get plenty of protein from whole foods, so hold up before you start scooping powders and blending.

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Magnesium and sleep – Relation between them

by with No Comment Diet and Nutriion

Importance of Magnesium for Sleep.

I wanted to shine the spotlight on magnesium today. It’s a really important mineral and one that is ready for the taking in our diets.

How can we make sure we eat enough magnesium though and is it a case of more is better?

We’ll look at magnesium and sleep, but also it’s many other roles. We have about 30g of magnesium in our body – most of this is in bones, followed by muscle and soft tissue with only 1% found in our fluids as an electrolyte where it helps to control fluid balance.

Are we eating enough magnesium? 

Diet and nutrition survey data shows most women in their 40s and 50s eat enough. This is at a population level though, so it’s important to consider needs and intakes on an individual level. Younger adults are doing worse on the magnesium front with around 20% of people in their 20s falling short.

What do we need magnesium for? 

Its roles within the body include: Hundreds of metabolic pathways, including releasing energy from our food. Muscle contraction and blood clotting. Nerve transmission. Formation of strong bones and teeth Immune function Beating of heart muscle Supporting psychological function Although there are no official legal health claims that can be made around magnesium and sleep, it is frequently touted as a sleep aid because of its role in muscle relaxation. So, let’s look at this in more detail.

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What does the research tell us about magnesium, diet and sleep?

Magnesium plays a role in activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the one associated with ‘resting and digesting’. This Includes supporting the regulation of melatonin which guides sleep/ wake cycles in body. A recent systematic review looking at all the evidence in this area compiled results from 9 studies and over 7000 people. Observational studies show a positive link between higher magnesium intakes and blood and urine levels of magnesium being associated with better sleep quality. These sorts of studies can’t prove a causal link though, so let’s look to the gold standard randomised controlled trials for those answers…

One trial showed 500mg Magnesium supplementation increased sleep time and efficiency when compared to placebo. Other trials were a bit inconsistent and couldn’t show statistical significance. Back in the real world, statistical significance might not mean much though, as within all studies there will be people right across the spectrum, some of whom find benefit and some who won’t. There’s enough of a sniff here I think, to consider magnesium supplementation alongside a broader nutritional and holistic approach. For some, they could prove to be a helpful piece of the sleep puzzle. My ethos is always to look at food first. There are many reasons for this, not least because food always brings with it non-nutritive compounds called phytochemicals which protect our bodies at a cellular level, and as it stands at the moment, we can’t bottle those or put them in a pill effectively. How to get magnesium from your diet. Our requirement is around 300mg per day. Each food serve will give us about a fifth of this.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency will not be obvious and whilst intakes are certainly lower than they should be for many and therefore far from optimal, full-blown deficiency would be considered rare, especially if someone has a varied diet. Rich sources include dark green leafy veg such as spinach, kale and broccoli. It also found in abundance in nuts and seeds and wholegrains. Just one of the many reasons it’s not a good idea to shun carbohydrates all together, especially in the evening. As an aside, carbohydrates release insulin which helps with the transport of the amino acid tryptophan across the blood, brain barrier. Once inside the brain it is used to make serotonin, which in turn converts to melatonin – the hormone we need for sleep. For clarity on carbs and how you can navigate this food group to support your health download my free ebook on Gaining Clarity with Carbs. Meat and dairy contain less magnesium, and you won’t find much of it in refined carbs which have had the nutrient-rich outer layers removed.

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