Recommendations vary on daily protein intake

Recommendations vary on daily protein intake Recommendations vary on daily protein intake, but the Institute of Medicine recommends that adults take in a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. That comes out to about 45 to 75 grams of protein for the average adult (e.g., 64 grams for a 160-pound person).

Another way to calculate protein intake is by the percentage of calories consumed. It is relatively safe for most adults to consume 25 percent to 33 percent of their calories from protein. (For people with diabetes or early-stage kidney disease, the American Diabetes Association recommends an upper limit of 0.8 to 1.0 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight.)

Surprisingly, a diet lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein may help fight heart disease. A study on 82,000 women on low-carb, high vegetable fat or protein diets showed a 30 percent hope reduction in the risk of heart disease compared with women who ingested high-carb, low-fat diets.