Protein Insufficiency: The Symptoms Might SurpriseYou
Protein isn’t just for building muscle mass, it balances hormones, boosts immunity, regulates appetite, regulates blood sugar, and supports a range of essential functions.
As your hormones begin to fluctuate over the age of 40, your body requires more protein to maintain lean muscle mass and promote strength, balance, and overall wellbeing.
Symptoms of protein deficiency include thinning hair, brittle nails, physical fatigue, cognitive burnout, mood swings, hunger, and sugar cravings.
Adults over the age of 40 and those taking weight loss medications are at a greater risk of protein deficiency.
Many of us are accustomed to counting calories, carbs, and sugar, but not protein intake. If protein isn’t top of mind, you may not know the symptoms of protein insufficiency. If you’re on GLP-1s or are in perimenopause, you may need more than the average adult. With the right food combinations, increasing the protein in your diet is easy.
Signs of Protein Deficiency
Frequent Illness or Slow Wound Healing: Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They contain enzymes that fuel your immune system.
Thinning Hair or Brittle Nails: Your hair and nails contain the proteins keratin and collagen. If you aren’t consuming the right mix of amino acids, it may show in your hair and nails.
Hunger or Sugar Cravings: Protein is a macronutrient that slows digestion to stabilize blood sugar. It also regulates fullness and food-craving hormones in the brain.
Brain Fog or Mood Swings: The amino acids in protein also regulate dopamine and serotonin. These hormones are neurotransmitters that regulate sleep, mood, and cognitive performance.
Physical Fatigue: Muscle mass loss accelerates as hormones fluctuate over the age of 40. This makes your muscles feel weak and reduces physical stamina.
Why Women Over 40 Have a Higher Risk for Protein Insufficiency?
Without strategic intervention, your body naturally loses 3 to 8 percent of its muscle mass each year. By the time you reach the age of 40, the loss is noticeable. Once you enter perimenopause, estrogen declines. Estrogen levels influence metabolism and muscle and tissue repair. Metabolism slows further as muscle mass declines. These factors combined make it harder to lose weight and maintain existing lean muscle mass.
Why Your Body Requires More Protein On GLP-1s?
Any time you lose weight, up to two-thirds of the “weight” you lose is lean muscle mass. Increasing your protein intake and resistance training helps you maintain or rebuild the muscle you lose.
The added challenge with increasing your protein intake while on GLP-1s is that you’re eating less. If you’re achieving weight loss, but feel physically weak and mentally fatigued, nutrition may be the cause. So, even though you can lose weight without changing your diet, what you eat is more important than ever.
How Much Protein Do Women Require After 40?
The average adult requires about .8 grams of protein per kilogram (2.2 pounds). Over the age of 40, this increases to about 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram. It might not sound like much, but it’s often the difference between adequate and insufficient protein intake. You’ll require more protein if you have an active lifestyle, and more over the age of 50.
Your Body Requires All 9 Essential Amino Acids
In addition to counting your grams of protein, your body requires a diverse range of amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids that play different roles in your body (Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, and Valine).
How to Determine How Much Protein Your Body Requires?
One of the reasons to work with a dietitian is to tailor your nutrition, including your daily grams of protein. Nutrition isn’t a one-size-fits-all equation. Your age, gender, physical activity, and overall health influence what your body needs.
Reach out to learn how to pair foods to fuel your mind and body!