One of the worst foodie websites on the internet, “Eat This, Not That,” recently posted an article on protein and how much you should consume in one meal. The really hilarious part is that they, following the post-2020 absurd trend, have added a “fact checked” claim on the article. Well, let’s see about that. And this will be a quick one, as I’m pressed on time today.
“Protein is one of the four macronutrients you need every day to keep you full, support muscle growth, and maintain overall health. But while your daily protein needs can vary depending on factors like your activity level and age, knowing how much to eat in one sitting is essential to avoid overloading your body and putting yourself at risk for health issues.”
Fact checked, eh? There are only three accepted macronutrients, and only two of them are necessary for human health, as in animal protein and animal fats. There are not four macronutrients! While there are a few researchers that suggest alcohol as the fourth macronutrient, that is not universally accepted. Claiming that we need all these four, as in protein, fats, carbohydrates, and also alcohol (!) every day to maintain health is absurd. Well, you’re not off to a good start.
And no, water is not classified as a macronutrient, as the definition is that a macronutrient has to provide energy.
How Much Protein Is Too Much in One Meal?
“Both Tafur and Dr. Calder agree that it’s best to limit protein intake to 30 grams per meal. Excess protein consumption in roughly amounts greater than 30 grams per hour are not stored, says Tafur, so consuming more than that generally will not offer additional benefits and can even strain your kidneys.”
This is like being thrown back to the 80’s and 90’s when this myth still was prevalent. First, we must separate absorption and utilization, and also define utilization. Protein is used for much more than simply tissue turnover, as in repairing muscle and renewing cells.
First, there is no upper limit to how much protein can be digested and absorbed from one single meal — or several meals during the day. While we can only break down and absorb about 50 to 75% of toxic plant matter, we will absorb at least 97% of meat and animal fat. Only being able to absorb about 30 grams of protein in one sitting would be extremely detrimental to our survival as we often would have only a big kill every now and then, or only have enough food for one or two meals a day.
As for protein utilization, we first have the rate of protein synthesis and degradation, with a turnover rate of approximately 1.2% of total protein mass per day. As an average 70 kg male has about 26 kg of muscle mass and muscle is about 19% protein, that yields about 5 kg of muscle protein in the body, which means that the daily turnover rate would be 60 grams, and that is 2.5 grams an hour. However, at least 20% of this turnover comes from recycled proteins, so about 50 grams a day must come from the diet to achieve a positive net protein balance.
Then you have organs and other tissue like the skin, and if you exercise and break down muscle tissue, that has to be repaired and improved. That is why the lowest daily protein recommendation for active people is 1.2 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, and at least 1.6 g protein/kg for athletes, and 2.2 g protein/kg for those wanting to build muscle mass.
In addition, protein is also used for enzymatic functions, forming digestive enzymes and also regulating pH and fluid balance. It’s used as building blocks for hormones, it’s used as carrier proteins to transport different compounds in our bloodstream, it’s used for signaling molecules, and much more.
With that said, she actually said that “excess protein consumption” above 30 grams per hour is not stored. Per hour! Well, a meal can take 2 to 4 hours or more to digest once it enters the small intestine and the release of protein, as in amino acids, is fairly constant during that time. So she contradicted herself as 30 grams per hour would be the same as a small meal of 60 grams protein that could be digested in two hours, or a medium-sized to large meal with 120 grams of protein that might take four hours to be digested. Both of these meals would yield 30 grams of protein per hour. Damn, that fact checker is on fire!
And no, there is no strain on the kidneys unless you have kidney damage, or if you consume enormous amounts of protein with very little fat, as fat is our main energy source and simply getting protein without fat would mean that you would have to rely on gluconeogenesis most of the day to provide energy, which is not good and can strain the organs. You should get about the same amount of animal fats in grams as you do protein, or more if active.
“Protein works differently. Eating protein will not yield immediate energy like fat and carbs will, so the body redirects metabolic processes in order to create energy. The kidneys will then remove any excess protein in the blood and then excrete it though urine. If excess protein is consumed regularly, the kidneys may become stressed. Calder says those with kidney disease may fare better avoiding eating a high-protein diet. Protein is never stored, and it is never meant to be used for immediate energy, Tafur explains.”
First of all, the kidneys do not excrete “excess” protein through urine. The majority of filtered proteins are reabsorbed back into the bloodstream through a process called tubular reabsorption. This is a crucial process to support and ensure that the body has enough amino acids in case of starvation. And that is also why autophagy increases during fasting, as your body increases the recycling of damaged cells to provide more amino acids.
It’s only when you have severe kidney damage that protein can leak into the urine. Such extreme misinformation. And again, fact checked? Really?
“However, research suggests that while the body can’t store protein, it doesn’t mean that eating more than 20-25 grams per meal is always wasteful. Some of the extra protein can still support muscle growth, particularly when it’s from slower-digesting sources like whole foods and consumed alongside other nutrients.”
While the body can’t store “excess” protein per se, the kidneys filter, temporarily store, and then release amino acids back into the bloodstream. The reabsorbed amino acids are transported to the amino acid pool, a dynamic reservoir of free amino acids in the blood.
We also see a conversion of amino acids to glucose or ketones. If amino acids exist in excess, the body converts them into glucose or ketones, which can be used as energy sources or stored as glycogen or fat reserves.
However, if you have been deceived into consuming carbohydrates, the increase in blood glucose from carbohydrates poses an immediate threat to your blood vessels, nerves, organs, and soft tissues. Thus, blood glucose must be dealt with immediately, shutting off our natural fat metabolism and our natural way of producing glucose through gluconeogenesis, where amino acids are used.
With that said, if you follow our natural human and species-appropriate diet of only animal protein and animal fats, protein will not only be used for protein turnover, for protein synthesis, for building enzymes, but also for manufacturing glucose as needed (from lactate, glycerol, and glucogenic amino acids.)
In other words, “excess” protein can only become a “problem” on an unnatural diet where you consume carbohydrates, which unfortunately, the majority of the deceived population does, hence the bad science and understanding of protein utilization.
After this, they only repeat the same nonsense about the kidneys and the possibility of digestive issues if consuming too much protein. Something that is impossible if you get your protein from animal-based sources. As we know that anything plant-based is extremely toxic and damaging, so trying to get your protein from plants is utterly retarded.
They also touch on how much protein you need, going with the abysmal 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight and up to 1.5 grams for building muscle. I already covered this. 1.6 grams of protein per kg/bw is a minimum. 2.2 grams or more is ideal for building muscle.
If you need help with gaining muscle or losing body fat, your health, nutrition, and/or transitioning from your current way of eating to our natural species-appropriate, species-specific way of eating, I’m available for both coaching and consultation.
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