As you have probably have been told numerous times protein is a super important macronutrient to maintain a healthy body weight which it is but I wanted to go in more detail today
But before thats let’s cover some basics about energy you receive from food
Calorie = Unit of Energy
Macronutrient
1g of Carbs = 4 Calories
1g of Protein = 4 Calories
1 ml of Alcohol = 7 Calories
1g of Fat = 9 Calories
Great, now thats out of the way you can see per gram of protein is the equal lowest (with carbs) form of macronutrient which in itself is a positive factor.
But the two main factors that really make protein our most favoured macronutrient is
1. Your body uses more calories digesting and processing protein than any other macronutrient – to be specific your body uses a whopping 20-30% of the calories consumed from high protein food are used back during the digestion process.
2. Protein keeps much more full than fat, carbs and alcohol. Have you ever binged on beef jerky or kangaroo? And when you’re full you”re not drum roll eating more
Other notable benefits of Protein
i. Protein or certain amino acids which are the building blocks of protein help with the manufacturing of neurotransmitters (dopamine/ norepinephrine) which are contribute to we feel pleasure and energy levels
ii. Immune System: Again amino acids play an important role in the manufacturing of cells responsible for immunity on the flip side numerous studies have shown consuming a low protein diet seems to impair immune function.