Overconsumption of Protein across the world
“Protein” comes from the Greek “proteios”, meaning “of prime importance”. It is one of three macronutrients our bodies use for energy (along with carbohydrates and fat). Protein is made up of 20 individual building blocks called amino acids. Amino acids are vital to our bodies for physiological functions such as tissue repair and nutrient absorption.
Because of the vital position, is higher protein intake much better?
The answer is NO. Protein is not usually used for energy. However, if the body is not getting enough calories from other nutrients or from the fat stored in the body, protein is used for energy. If more protein is consumed than is needed, the body breaks the protein down and stores its components as fat. Our bodies aren’t able to store protein, for the most part. It has no specialized cells to store protein efficiently, as it does fat and carbohydrate.
In reality, a short-term high protein diet could be necessary for certain pathological conditions (malnutrition, sarcopenia, etc.). However, extra protein is not used efficiently by the body and may impose a metabolic burden on the bones, kidneys, and liver.
How much protein is enough?
In the 2007 FAO/WHO/UNU report, WHO recommended “safe level of protein intake” is 0.83 gram/kg per day which would be expected to meet the requirements of most (97.5%) of the healthy adult population (Values are calculated based on a person eating a 2,200 calorie diet). For example, in normal health status, a man who weighs 70 kg (154 pounds) should consume nearly 60 grams of protein per day, and a woman who weighs 60kg (132 pounds) needs approximately 50 grams of protein per day. There is no safe upper limit of protein intake has been identified, however, caution is advised to consume a daily diet of 3–4 times the safe level.
Requirements for the elderly population are considered to be equal to that of adults. Higher protein requirements are necessary for infants, children, adolescent boys/girls (safe level ranges from 0.87 to 1.31 grams/kg per day). Women during pregnancy (based on first, second, and third trimesters, respectively) and lactation (based on months postpartum) are required extra protein intake than normal individuals. The recommended additional protein levels are not over 35 grams per day and should be taken by consuming more of a normal diet, rather than as supplements. Individuals’ protein requirements also vary depending on the level of physical activity. For athletes who are best served to stay at energy balance, consuming a well-balanced diet and protein from a variety of sources should be key. For athletes interested in gaining muscle mass, an increase in energy intake, including a relatively high proportion of protein, is likely to be the primary objective.
Overconsumption of protein occurs in all of the world’s regions
The average daily protein requirement of 50 grams/day is based on an average adult body weight of 62 kg and recommended protein intake of 0.8 gram per kg body weight per day. Individuals’ energy requirements vary depending on age, gender, height, weight, pregnancy/lactation, and level of physical activity.
As can be seen from this chart, by 2010, the average person in all countries and territories consumed more protein than estimated requirements. In the world’s wealthier regions such as US and Canada, protein consumption was even higher and more than half the protein in the world’s wealthiest regions was animal-based.
Data from FAO 2017 showed that between 1961 and 2011, the daily intake of protein has increased in high-income countries, particularly from meat, eggs, milk, and dairy products, which rose from 39 grams per capita in 1961 to 52 grams in 2011, a 33% increase for an annual growth rate of around 0.6%. In low- and middle-income countries, the daily per capita availability of protein from animal products rose from 9 to 20 grams, an increase of 116%.
By 2050, World Resource Institute (WRI) estimates that the global average per capita protein consumption will rise to nearly 80 grams per day. This overconsumption of protein results from growth in demand for animal-based foods. Moreover, FAO projections for 2050 showed daily animal-based protein intakes of 57 grams per person in high-income countries and 25 grams in low- and middle-income countries. The continuing shifts to animal-based diets plus the rise in population are likely to drive large growth in demand for animal-based foods.
Between 2010 and 2050, WRI project an additional increase of 68% global growth in demand for total animal-based foods; 67 % in dairy, and 88% in ruminant meats (beef, sheep, and goat).
How to feed the 9.9 billion world population by 2050?
The 2020 World Population Data Sheet indicates that the world population is projected an increase by more than 25% in 2050 (from 7.8 billion to 9.9 billion). Around the world, millions of people are still suffering from hunger. With the growing world population and rising incomes, the trend for animal-based consumption including meat, fish, egg, and dairy is increasing. People tend to switch to animal and dairy food sources that are considered “completed” protein in comparison to “incompleted” plant-based protein when their average incomes rise.
According to statistical data from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) until 2011, the world population uses approximately 50 percent of total habitable land for agriculture while is responsible for 24% of total Greenhouse Gas Emissions. 77% of agricultural land is grazing land for livestock and arable land for animal feed production. Animal-based foods have much greater environmental consequences than plant-based foods while contributing only 36% of total protein and 16% of total calories consumed by people in that year — “Creating A Sustainable Food Future: Final Report — WRI.
Furthermore, excessive consumption of meat and meat products is often associated with overconsumption of energy and fat, resulting in excess weight, obesity, and an increased risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes — National Library of Medicine.
In the next 30 years, the world must feed many more people, more nutritiously while considering climate change, environmental pollution, habitat loss, and freshwater depletion. Increasing food consumption per capita will not be a sustainable solution to feed the world by 2050 because of side effects to the environment, social health, and world hunger.
Shift to healthier and more sustainable diets
Calculating sufficient protein intake, limiting food loss and waste combined with changing diets particularly by reducing animal-based food (including fish, meat, dairy, and egg) is a promising way to fulfill the food demand, contribute to better nutrition and achieve sustainable development for our future generation. “Less animal-based diet” scenario of WRI explore that:
- The 10% of total global consumption of all animal-based foods switch to plant-based foods reduce the food gap by 4%, the land gap by 44 percent, and the GHG mitigation gap by 22%.
- The 30% shift would be enough to close 12 % of the food gap, nearly eliminate new net cropland expansion, cause a net reduction of 289 Mha in grazing area from 2010 levels, and close 59% of the GHG mitigation gap.
(“The food gap” is defined as the difference between the amount of food produced in 2010 and the amount necessary to meet likely demand in 2050, which is estimated to be 56% more crop calories. “The land gap” is defined as the difference between the global agricultural land area in 2010 and the area that will be required in 2050, which is estimated at 593 million hectares. “The GHG mitigation gap” is defined as the difference between the level of annual GHG emissions from agriculture and land-use change in 2050, which is estimated to be 15 gigatons).
Despite these large benefits, achieving this global 30% reduction in consumption of animal-based foods would be extremely difficult for many reasons. Changing eating habits is so hard for all people. However, things get easier if people learn to know about plants foods containing high protein. People usually choose eggs, cow’s milk, meat, and fish for daily meals because they are high-quality proteins. However, soybeans, quinoa (a grain), and spinach also are considered high-quality proteins. There are many more plant foods that contain a high amount of protein per serving:
- Seitan: is one of the richest plant protein sources available for many vegetarians and vegans, which contains about 25 grams of protein per 100-gram serving
- Soybeans (tofu, tempeh) are considered a whole source of protein, which means they provide your body with all the essential amino acids it needs. It contains 12–20 grams of protein per 100-gram serving.
- Lentils: With 18 grams of protein per cooked cup (198 grams), lentils are a great source of protein.
- Most types of beans contain about 15 grams of protein per cooked cup (170 grams).
Summary
This article does not aim to suggest that everyone should become a vegan or vegetarian. It only focuses on reducing overconsumption of animal-based protein and recommends the partial replacement of dietary animal proteins with plant-based ones due to the environmental burden of the current food system. Shifting global populations towards healthy plant-based dietary patterns could alleviate future environmental and food security crises that will likely occur if we continue to consume our planet’s resources at the current rates.
Sources:
(1) Amino Acids — the Building Blocks of Proteins https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/articles/essential-amino-acids-chart-abbreviations-and-structure-324357
(2) Protein can not be stored https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/disorders-of-nutrition/overview-of-nutrition/carbohydrates-proteins-and-fats#:~:text=If%20more%20protein%20is%20consumed,are%20all%20built%20of%20protein.
https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/store-protein-10182.html
(3) Adverse Effects Associated with Protein Intake above the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Adults https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045293/
(4) Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition: report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/43411
(5) Protein Requirements and Recommendations for Athletes https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17241913/
(6) The future of food and agriculture: Trends and challenges — FAO/ 2017
(7) Creating a Sustainable Food Future Final Report (July 2019)- World Resources Institute https://www.wri.org/research/creating-sustainable-food-future
(8) The effects of meat consumption on global health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30209430/
(9) FoodData Central -USDA https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1470783/nutrients
#Medical Disclaimer: My article is only for information purposes based on reliable sources. The medical and/or nutritional information on my article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
