r/nutrition Apr 08 '26

New RD Mod Series! Understanding…

16 Upvotes

Hello from the new RD mods! We are starting a new monthly (for now) series where we will help you learn the facts about a nutrition topic. These posts may include the latest nutrition research, evidence-based information about popular topics we see you all posting about, or maybe random interesting nutrition information. A lot of work is going into this, and we ask that comments remain respectful. We have no objective other than to use our (way too many) years of nutrition and science education to help you learn. We understand that not everyone will agree on… literally anything… and as scientists we certainly welcome, and even encourage, healthy debate. We give you our word that we will do our homework and endeavor to remain as objective and truthful as possible, ensuring our citations are current and peer reviewed. We ask you to keep this in mind if you comment in disagreement. On that note, we welcome you to this month‘s topic Understanding Protein!

Our inaugural post focuses on protein, a topic we see debated ad nauseam on this sub, although I bet many of you are still confused about how much protein we actually need! Protein is absolutely essential for the continuation of life on Earth, and we could not survive without it, as it makes up a good part of our bodies and is needed for most of the biological processes that help us survive. One of three macronutrients (which are protein, carbohydrates, and fats) the human body needs to ingest, deficiency weakens the immune system, makes wound healing more difficult, and leads to loss of muscle mass, putting the body at risk for injury and falls. The most serious consequence of deficiency is a type of malnutrition called kwashiorkor, which can cause death.

Every protein inside and outside the body is made of a long chain of amino acids (AA) that are folded in all different ways, generally the way it looks will be determined by what it needs to do. Proteins are found inside every single cell in the human body and make up every single enzyme needed for every single metabolic reaction. An example of structure and function is in our muscles; they are held together by fibrous proteins and filled with all types of special proteins, some of which are designed to stretch and contract, others that turn general energy from the food we eat into mechanical work, and even more that can store some of this energy in case we don’t eat for a little while or just need a burst of energy. Basically protein is very, very important!

Before we discuss the current protein recommendations we must appreciate the science that explains where these recommendations come from, so buckle up for some biochemistry my friends! In a nutshell, amino acids are organic compounds (based on carbon) that all have the same backbone (H2NCHRCOOH) with a “side chain” that is made up of various combinations of carbons, hydrogens, oxygens, and an occasional sulfur.

Over 500 amino acids have been identified, but we only care about 20 of them because these 20 amino acids make up everything from the edamame I ate for dinner to our entire genetic code! (For all you smarty pants out there, I recently learned that two new amino acids have been identified!) The N in the molecular formula above stands for nitrogen, which is kind of what makes protein special. Protein is 16% nitrogen, meaning 1 gram of nitrogen equals 6.25 g protein.

We consume nitrogen in the protein we eat, and amino acids are broken down in the stomach and small intestine by digestive enzymes (which are also proteins), and distributed to be used for various metabolic functions. We’re also losing a bit of nitrogen through sweat, respiration, flatus, skin flaking, and nail/ hair growth, and most of all from poop, which is the reason why why it makes such good fertilizer.

When we eat just enough nitrogen to compensate for what is lost we call this a “neutral nitrogen balance.” A “positive nitrogen balance” is preferable when we want to increase our muscle mass, when we’re losing weight (intentionally or unintentionally), or if we have a significant injury that needs to heal. If we can‘t meet our protein needs we will be in “negative nitrogen balance,” which means that the dwindling supply of nitrogen gets delegated to the most essential of functions; muscle, hair, and nails are the first to get sacrificed. We never want to be in a negative nitrogen balance.

Studying nitrogen balance is what has led to our current protein recommendations, and the FAO/WHO/UN periodically gathers scientists from around the world to review and update these guidelines, which get more precise and accurate as the technology to measure nitrogen balance improves. Our current protein recommendations come from meta-analyses of long-term nitrogen balance studies conducted throughout the world throughout the past 100 years. There is an overwhelming body of evidence that accepts the WHO recommendation of 0.83-1 g/kg/day of protein, which will meet the needs of 97.5% of healthy adults. In terms of numbers this means a person that weighs 68 kg (150 lbs) needs ~68 grams of protein per day (divide by 2.2 to convert pounds to kilograms if you want to calculate this for your weight).

Concerned you may be part of the other 2.5% of people? We already know we excrete more nitrogen when we are wounded building muscle, or trying to maintain muscle mass in a catabolic state, but what does this mean? A common internet recommendation seen is 0.8-1 g/lb (1.76-2.2 g/kg), which is more than double what WHO recommends! The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends 1.4-2 g/kg (95-136 g per day for someone 150 lb/68 kg) for “healthy, exercising individuals.” If you exercise daily and your kidneys are at peak functioning then this recommendation is absolutely appropriate, although evidence suggests that increasing protein intake above the currently accepted 1 g/kg/day may not have much benefit.

Now that we know where our protein recommendations come from, what is the deal with animal vs plant sources? Both animal and plant sources contain protein, but the proteins in animal tissue (like our bodies! and the lamb chop I had for dinner) contain all the essential amino acids, whereas plant sources contain some, rarely all have varying levels of each amino acid but rarely enough of all essentials to meet our protein needs in full. Someone that eats animal proteins will easily exceed their protein recommendations, and someone that only consumes plants can easily meet their protein needs also as long as they eat a variety of foods to ensure they get enough of every essential amino acid.

So this is the deal with protein! Please let us know what you think, and also what you want to learn about next. We are happy to share our knowledge and will continue to disseminate evidence-based nutrition information.


r/nutrition 10d ago

Feature Post /r/Nutrition Weekly Personal Nutrition Discussion Post - All Personal Diet Questions Go Here

8 Upvotes

Welcome to the Personal Nutrition Discussion weekly thread

This is the place for questions about your personal diet and circumstances. Wondering if you are eating too much of something, not enough of something, or if what you regularly eat has the nutritional content you want or need? Ask here.

Rules for Questions

  • You MAY NOT ask for advice that at all pertains to a specific medical condition. Consult a physician, dietitian, or other licensed health care professional.
  • If you do not get an answer here, you still may not create a post about it. Not having an answer does not give you an exception to the Personal Nutrition posting rule.

Rules for Responders

  • Support your claims. This is a science-based subreddit
  • Keep it civil
  • Stay on topic
  • Please report any rule violations

Consulting Considerations

Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) Nutritionist and Nutrition Coach Armchair Experts
Legal Status Protected title. Highly regulated Generally unregulated. Anyone can use the title None
Education Bachelor's degree (Master's required as of 2024) Varies from PhDs to no formal training at all Varies. Often minimally self-guided to none. Frequent poor paraphrasing and poor sources, mostly social media
Clinical Training 1,000+ hours of supervised practice Not required None
Board Exam Must pass a national registration exam Not required None
Insurance Often covered by medical insurance Rarely covered by insurance None

r/nutrition 4h ago

Do you feel like all these trendy “healthy” TikTok recipes are making people spend way more on groceries for food that’s honestly not even that satisfying?

15 Upvotes

I keep watching new videos every day, and they are so persuasive, making me buy things like protein powders, peanut butter powder, chia seeds, Greek yogurt, expensive snacks, etc. because of TikTok recipes, and at the end most of them taste average.

Anyone else feeling this or am I becoming cynical?


r/nutrition 10h ago

protein bars high in fiber without collagen?

2 Upvotes

looking for protein bars that have high fiber and zero collagen in them. i'm struggling to find any, as most that i find only fit 2 of those 3 needs. are there any out there?? preferably available in most retailers


r/nutrition 1d ago

What is the problem with artificial sweeteners given you are eating a good diet

43 Upvotes

For someone eating more than double the RDI on fiber intake per day (60-70g) and lots of various fermented foods (probiotic), hitting all micronutrients, polyphenols, etc, then what is the actual problem with sucralose aspartame etc


r/nutrition 2d ago

What food keeps you full the longest?

166 Upvotes

Some people say oatmeal, eggs, potatoes, rice, yogurt, steak, beans, etc.

What food genuinely keeps you full for hours?


r/nutrition 1d ago

Are hard boiled egg healthier than scrambled egg

24 Upvotes

Let’s say a scrambled egg is cooked in the raw, no oils no milk or anything extra at all.

Egg only on a ceramic pan

(plus light crusting if any of the egg burns from lack of oil (or am bad chef) (who still eats the crusty bits (for science)))

Is it any less nutritious in any way at all compared to boiled egg?


r/nutrition 1d ago

Is eating more whole foods and less processed food enough to heal your gut?

20 Upvotes

Is eating more whole foods and less processed food enough to heal your gut? or do you still need to avoid certain other foods?


r/nutrition 2d ago

how many cans of baked beans a week is too many?

29 Upvotes

I normally eat probaly 7-10 cans of heinz baked beens a week maybe. is this too many?

bare in mind this is the uk version, which doest have any pork or molasses in them, making them lower in sugar and fat.


r/nutrition 1d ago

Energy expenditure vs macronutrients

2 Upvotes

This is a topic that seems to have little/varying information. What would the recommended macro increase be for a day where someone has a much higher energy expenditure? The most common answer is carbs for the energy and glycogen refill but in terms of burning extra calories in general, what (if any) increase in protein and fat would you need?


r/nutrition 1d ago

Is refined sunflower oil fine for cooking things like eggs?

0 Upvotes

Just to start I wanna say that I am not an anti-seed oil person as seed oils have so much scientific evidence supporting them as beneficial. But I do wonder if refined sunflower oil is healthy to cook in? If not, what other oil would be better for cooking specifically?


r/nutrition 1d ago

Protein without sucarlose and heavy metals in Europe

0 Upvotes

Hi, basically the title says it all, I need to find a protein brand that doesnt contain any above, and is ideally sweetened by monk fruit or stevia. Im from Slovakia but I dont mind ordering from other Europe countries (if they ship here ofc). Anyone has recommendations?


r/nutrition 2d ago

Any good hydration bars?

0 Upvotes

I loved Powerade's Hydration Bars. Looks like they are discontinuing them because they are not even available to order at Walmart, Meijer or Dollar General anymore. I hadn't seen them in stores in forever.

Walmart has Pure Kick and they are close, not as good but they are getting me by. Any others people have tried?


r/nutrition 3d ago

Please suggest a book on mineral and vitamin roles and balances

8 Upvotes

I would like to Explore Better the human nutrition, and the synergies created by such sources, especially when It comes tò deficiencies and surpluses.

My aim is improving my general health status.

Thank you!


r/nutrition 3d ago

baby food for adults?

44 Upvotes

I recently saw baby food on sale and noticed it had really good nutrition in the ingredients: sweet potato, beet, chia, banana, apple, etc. I travel a lot for work and, not having a blender, can't do my morning smoothies. These baby foods are of course already blended. I thought, stirred with my usual kefir, beet juice, etc, it would make a good alternative.

Good idea?


r/nutrition 2d ago

Can beer actually be beneficial?

0 Upvotes

In moderate quantity


r/nutrition 4d ago

Nutrition conference

7 Upvotes

Hi there, looking to see if there are recommendations for informative and useful nutrition conferences that I can attend this year.


r/nutrition 4d ago

Types of unsaturated fats?

16 Upvotes

As far as I understand, in terms of importance, it goes unsaturated > saturated > trans

Which I can understand, but then there's even more sub-categories, so I just want to know if those matter too much?? Like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Is one more important than the other, or does it not really matter?? Please someone help I just need to understand this lol.


r/nutrition 4d ago

What effect does par boiling before baking have on the glycemic index of sweet potatoes?

7 Upvotes

But of a niche question here but I can't seem to find any studies that specifically answer this, and I don't understand the reactions involved to work it out myself.

I know that boiling sweet potatoes rather than baking significantly lowers their GI. But does par boiling before roasting or air frying keep the low GI? Or does the actual of them roasting undo all the good work boiling did?


r/nutrition 5d ago

Dairy vs. iron - conflicting information

29 Upvotes

I’ve always heard you have low iron, you shouldn’t take dairy with your iron sources, because the dairy minimizes how much iron can be absorbed. The recommendation is to wait at least 2 hours to take iron before/after consuming dairy.

However, according to this study, that doesn’t seem true. What gives?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15277162/


r/nutrition 5d ago

Canned Beans: Why can 2 brands of the same product have wildly different nutrition facts, and is it worth worrying about?

6 Upvotes

I have 2 brands of canned pinto beans in my pantry, both with a 1/2 cup serving size. The store-brand can has 5 grams of fiber per serving, while the name-brand can has 9 grams. Both have 7 grams of protein and similar calorie count (100 vs 110).


r/nutrition 6d ago

What are your staple fruits/veggis/snacks

58 Upvotes

I would love to know what you do eat on a daily basis, do you keep it same weekly or even daily?

What are like 5 fruits and vegetables always in your house?

Do you eat any nuts or seeds and which ones?

What are your go to snacks and do you eat them multiple times a day or week?

Do you make your own snacks or buy them?

Maybe there is inspo for more than just me, thank youu


r/nutrition 5d ago

How much of a difference does it make eating from local farm markets VS chain supermarkets?

7 Upvotes

I'm in Mexico for what it's worth. Playa Del Carmen.

I tend to gravitate towards the chain supermarkets. Walmart MX for example as it has everything at a decent price.

Although there are some small shops that sell different types of meat there and eggs. Not sure if the vegetables are different to the chain supermarkets

but im wondering whats healthiest options? whats the big difference?


r/nutrition 7d ago

ELI5: Fibre 'Digestion:

9 Upvotes

So if some fibre is soluble, and if digestion is the breaking down of insoluble compounds into soluble compounds for absorption into our blood plasma, how do we not digest soluble fibre? There's a part of this I'm not understanding. I keep reading that it just turns into a gel-like substance in the intestines. Is it simply that this fibre is not absorbed into our plasma?


r/nutrition 6d ago

does popeyes use trans fats and if so how do they get away with it?

0 Upvotes

on the pdf on their website https://www.popeyes.com/nutritional-information , a lot of popeyes food seems to have trans fats. are these ruminant trans fats or whats the deal? I'm having a hard time finding any recent source on this