Health and Fitness Information Center

Protein Requirements

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Protein Requirements
The body cannot store protein, so it needs a fresh supply every day. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences has established a daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein based on a person's age and weight. According toe the Academy, because most people in the United States eat meat and dairy products regularly, the average protein intake is higher than what most people need. So you should easily meet the following RDAs:

The RDA for adults is 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. This works out to 44 grams for a 120 pound person, 55 grams of protein for a weight of 150 pounds, and 66 grams for 180 pounds. These allowances assume that you eat a mixed diet of proteins - some high-quality (complete), some low-quality (incomplete).

If, like most Americans, you consume mostly high-quality protein, your total requirement will there fore be slightly less. If you get almost all your protein from plant sources, it will be slightly greater. The variation due to the type of diet is no more than approximately 15 percent.

Children under eighteen need some additional protein to allow for growth, and the younger they are, the more protein they need per pound of body weight.

Pregnant women are allocated an additional 10 grams of protein per day by the RDA, lactating mothers an extra 12 to 15 grams during the first six months.