Protein Fact Sheet

PROTEIN TYPE	WHAT IS IT?	WHERE IS IT FOUND?	WHY IS IT (UN)HEALTHY?	HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU EAT PER DAY?
All Protein	Proteins are chains of chemicals called amino acids. There are 20 amino acids in plant and animal proteins. Each chain has a protein specific combination of these amino acids that make it unique.	Protein is found in high concentrations in animal products, like meat, eggs, and dairy. It is also found in some whole grains and vegetables, but at much lower levels.	Protein is the building block our bodies. Our body cannot make 9 of the 20 on its own, so we need to eat protein to get all 20 amino acids.¹ Eating too much protein can cause some gastrointestinal problems, but generally protein is healthy if eaten from a variety of sources (not just red meat).²	The FDA recommends eating 0.36g/lb/day of protein (meaning a 150lb person would eat 54lbs).³ Yet some forward thinking doctors more, even up to 1g/lb/day (meaning a 150lb person would eat 150lbs of protein).⁴ There is room to vary in protein intake, and doctors disagree on the specifics. We recommend getting at least 0.36g/lb/day and for active people, aiming to get even more, around 0.72g/lb/day (meaning a 150lb person would eat 75 lbs).