Easily Fractured Or Broken Bones
Protein is essential for building and maintaining bone density and strength. Studies have shown inadequate protein intake has been linked to an increased risk of bone fractures.
Did you know?A study on postmenopausal women found that higher animal-based protein intake was associated with a lower risk of hip fractures.
Choosing The Right Proteins
Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of tissues. The body needs many different amino acids to fulfill its various functions.
Animal proteins offer complete proteins. Examples include meat, fish, eggs, and poultry. Soy, a plant-based protein, is also a source of complete protein.
These foods contain all the essential amino acids the body needs.
Almond Butter Tofu Stew
Tofu is one of the best plant-based sources of protein available. A half a cup of firm tofu has over 19 grams of protein! This Almond Butter Tofu Stew recipe by Jackie Sobon not only provides that much-needed source of tofu-based protein, but its also rich in a slew of colorful vegetables meaning loads of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
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What Happens When Your Body Is Low In Protein
Protein deficiency is a condition in which an individual doesnt get enough protein to satisfy their bodys requirements. Frank J. Lacqua, M.D., FACS, a colon and rectal surgeon at Richmond University Medical Center, tells SELF that people with this health issue typically display symptoms like weakness, fatigue, recurrent infections due to a diminished immune system, and thin, brittle hair and nails.
Worth noting: Protein deficiency, just like a lot of things in the field of medicine, is a spectrum, says Dr. Brill. You can have a mild protein deficiency and conversely, you can have a severe protein deficiency. However, its important to note that severe, life-threatening forms of protein deficiency are rare, particularly in the United States. In our society, it would be uncommon to see very severe deficiencies, unless the individual has an underlying intestinal disorder, liver or kidney disease, or a psychiatric eating disorder, explains Dr. Lacqua.
Thats because most people in the U.S.even those who dont eat meattend to get enough protein in their diets. According to a 2013 study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the median protein intake of vegetarians and vegans is still above the recommended dietary allowance .1
Stunted Growth In Children

Protein not only helps maintain muscle and bone mass, but its also essential for body growth.
Thus, deficiency or insufficiency is especially harmful to children whose growing bodies require a steady supply.
In fact, stunting is the most common sign of childhood malnutrition. In 2013, an estimated 161 million children suffered from stunted growth (
27 ).
Even marginally low protein intake may impair immune function. One small study in older women showed following a low-protein diet for nine weeks significantly reduced their immune response .
Summary: Eating too little protein may impair your bodys ability to fight infections, such as the common cold.
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How Is Kwashiorkor Treated
The World Health Organization has outlined 10 steps to follow when treating severe undernutrition:
What Are The Signs Of Protein Deficiency
Protein deficiency symptoms vary based on how severe the condition is. However, there are some red flags worth considering for a true deficiency, even though it is rare:
If youre not eating enough protein, in the short term, your body may tell you by literally craving it, Dana Hunnes, Ph.D., R.D., senior dietician at UCLA Medical Center and adjunct assistant professor at the Fielding School of Public Health, tells SELF. You should give in to these cravings. If youre really jonesing for a chicken sandwich or a bowl of lentil soup, listen to your body and eat up.
Protein digests slower than carbohydrates. If you eat a meal that is mostly carbohydrates with not enough protein, it will digest more quickly and will cause your blood sugar to rise, Alissa Rumsey, M.S., R.D., a New York City-based dietitian and the author of Unapologetic Eating. This rise is followed by a dropand when blood sugar is constantly spiking and dropping, we crave more sugar. The key is to eat protein with carbs so that everything digests more slowly, and the blood sugar changes are more gradual over time.
Youve probably noticed that you tend to be hungrier throughout the day when you have a lack of protein in your meals. Thats because protein decreases your level of the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates the production of other hormones that make you feel satiated.5 As a result, not getting enough protein can increase your appetite and actually cause you to eat more.6
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How Much Protein Should You Eat Per Meal
Just as it’s important for athletes to consume adequate protein throughout the entirety of the day, it’s equally as important for those who are moderate to regularly active to space out their protein consumption as well. In fact, Smithson says you should aim to consume between 25 and 30 grams of protein at each meal.
“Many individuals try to put all their protein in one mealskimp on protein in the morning and load up in the evening. However, the best way to support your muscles is to spread it out more evenly so the body has adequate protein throughout the day,” says Smithson.
Protein also boosts satiety, which is another incentive to evenly distribute consumption of it between all meals and even snacks. It is possible though to consume too much protein in one sitting.
Registered dietitian Gabrielle Mancella explained to us that the body cannot physically store more than 30 grams of protein per hour, meaning that excess protein is not properly utilized. Often, excess protein is removed from the blood by the kidneys and excreted through urine.
Protein Deficiency Is When Your Intake Is Unable To Meet Your Body’s Requirements If You Are Deficient Your Body May Show Some Signs And Symptoms That Mustn’t Go Unattended Considering It May Cause Various Health Problems And Worsen It Further
If you want your body to function seamlessly, then you should ensure loading up on enough protein. Protein is responsible for giving energy, helping our body recover, and keeping our tummies satiated. Basically, this nutrient is composed of long-chain amino acids, which are said to be the building blocks of muscle. While protein may be an important nutrient for your body, there is a chance that you may be protein-deficient. Protein deficiency is when your intake is unable to meet your body’s requirements. If you are deficient, your body may show some signs and symptoms that mustn’t go unattended, considering it may cause various health problems and worsen it further. We list out those signs and symptoms that may be indicating that your body is protein-deficient.
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You Are Often Ill And Catch Every Cold
Do you feel like you catch every cold or flu that goes around? Protein plays a crucial role in your immune system. So if your bodys defenses arent getting enough protein, theyre weakened. Without the necessary amino acids your body cannot produce enough white blood cells, among other things. The result is apparent. You are ailing more often than you should.
The Importance Of Amino Acids
Protein deficiency, or hypoproteinemia, refers to low levels of protein in your blood. This deficiency can occur if you don’t have enough protein in your diet to meet your body’s needs, such as when following a diet that severely restricts protein consumption.
You may also become deficient if your body isn’t able to effectively digest and absorb the proteins within the foods you eat due to another medical condition.
Most Americans consume enough protein to meet generalized nutrition guidelines.
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Signs Of Insufficient Protein Intake
Note: When I use the term protein deficiency here, I am not addressing pathological protein deficiency, but rather a protein insufficiency that forces the body to adapt and compensate: one that wouldnt show up on blood tests, but is linked clinically to a host of health concerns. This syndrome is described in Ayurveda and I have seen numerous clinical miracles over the years when the right protein is reintroduced.
Youre Always Getting Sick

Avoiding the sniffles often requires more than just good hygiene and good sleep good nutrition is key, too. The immune system depends on the right fuel to function correctly. A study published in Progress of Food and Nutrition Science concluded that being deficient in protein results in the loss of T cells, important germ fighters. As a result, the immune system cant ward off bacteria or viruses as well.
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Protein Insufficiency Sign : Muscle And/or Joint Pain
After 35 years in practice , I have seen many cases of chronic joint and muscle pain linked to a dietary lack of high-quality protein.
About 20 years ago, I had a sudden attack of severe neck pain. I got a massage, saw a few chiropractors, and got Rolfed, but nothing seemed to touch this pain. I remember it was in the fall because I had the thought that I might be protein deficient!
According to Ayurveda, during fall and winter, the body starts to store proteins and fats to insulate and rebuild the body during the cold winter months. The body stores much of its protein reserves in the synovial fluid around the joints, which is used to rebuild muscles and joints after strenuous exercise. In fact, synovial fluid is so rich in protein, one study found 267 different proteins in the synovial fluid of the knee.1
During a chronic lack of adequate protein, synovial fluids are among the first protein reserves to be depleted and the joints may start to ache, the muscles can stiffen, and the body may become more vulnerable to injury.
This kind of pain does not typically respond to standard musculoskeletal care.
I went down the checklist:
- Yes, I had been vegetarian for many years.
- Yes, I did have a sweet tooth and loved carbs.
- Yes, I was becoming a snacker.
- Yes, it was winter and my joints were stiff and unresponsive to standard care.
Trouble Fighting Infections And Healing
While the immune system is essential for fighting foreign invaders, its also a key player in healing infections. This means if you suffer from a protein deficiency, it can also knock down your immune system a couple of pegs. An impaired immune systemmay increase the risk of severity of infections, a common symptom of severe protein deficiency. This may also lead to recurring viral or bacterial infections. Plus, when it comes to protein and your immune system, it turns out even a marginally low protein intake may impair its function. Therefore, this may be one of the first symptoms you experience.
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Getting Or Staying Sick
Amino acids in your blood help your immune system make antibodies that activate white blood cells to fight off viruses, bacteria, and toxins. You need protein to digest and absorb other nutrients that keep you healthy. There’s also evidence that protein can change the levels of disease-fighting “good” bacteria in your gut.
Final Thoughts On Overcoming A Protein Deficiency
Protein is essential for good health. It helps you build muscle tissue, boosts your hormone levels, and provides antioxidants.
Add plant-based protein to your list of alternative protein sources. Whether you choose legumes, peanuts, or pumpkin seeds, youll boost your protein levels without adding unhealthy fats. When you buy meat, choose leaner cuts and trim off unwanted fat before cooking.
So, if youre confused about how to eat enough protein in your diet, look no further than this list of protein sources. Eating these foods will take away your worries of a protein deficiency to feel healthy and happy.
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How Can I Prevent Protein S Deficiency
If you were born with a protein S deficiency, you cant prevent it. However, many people with this deficiency never have a blood clot. You may not be able to avoid the medical conditions that can cause acquired protein S deficiency, but you can avoid birth control pills and make sure you get enough vitamin K.
Puffy Or Swollen Limbs
One of the first indicators of a protein deficiency is puffy skin and localized swelling, or also known as edema. Edema causes swelling in the feet, abdomen, arms, legs, and hands. One of the main reasons this happens is due to fluid build-up caused by insufficient levels of a protein called serum albumin. This protein is vital for maintaining oncotic pressure, which is when fluids are drawn and circulated in the blood. This helps to prevent excess fluids from building up in the tissues. Without serum albumin, oncotic pressure is significantly reduced and as a result of that, fluids start to accumulate in the tissues, which causes swelling.
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Symptoms Of Insufficient Protein Intake
If you dont eat enough protein, it can manifest itself in a number of ways. We bring you a list of eight symptoms that signal that you need to include more protein in your diet. It is important that you know that the symptoms described below can also have other causes. So if you have any of the following symptoms and you are confident that you are getting enough protein, you should definitely consult a doctor. Your doctor can then arrange for a blood test and, if necessary, further examinations.
What Can You Do If You Think You’re Lacking In Protein

- If you’re eating processed foods and lots of carbs and sugars, start replacing those with whole foods like three or four servings of fresh meat, fish, chicken, dairy, eggs, plus whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. There’s great protein in plant foods as well as in animal products.
- If you’re vegan, great protein sources include whole grains, lentils, soy, beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.
- If you dont like protein foods or dont want to eat them, consider a protein powder supplement made from soy, egg, rice, peas, or whey.
- If you think you may have low stomach acid, check with your physician or dietitian to get a good supplement.
- If you have too much stress in your life, look into learning to meditate or do yoga, or find whatever activities work best for you to reduce stress.
Lucky for us, protein is available in many forms, raw and cooked. No matter what type of diet you follow, we have a number of ways to add more protein to our diets in a healthy and delicious way!
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Overeating And Food Cravings
Interestingly, not getting enough dietary protein can lead to food cravings and overeating.
The reason for this is due to proteins effect on satiety.
For example, research demonstrates that protein is more satiating than carbohydrate and fat .
Generally speaking, this means the more protein we consume, the less likely we are to feel hungry and want more food.
These satiating effects seem to start at around 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and at least 25-30 grams of protein at each meal .
Furthermore, results from randomized controlled trials support these findings. Several different studies show that participants on high-protein diets experience fewer food cravings than those on lower protein diets .
As this data suggests, persistent hunger cravings may be a sign that protein intake is too low.
Key Point:
Youre Losing Your Hair
Occasionally nutritionists will test the health of their clients diets by asking them to run their hands through their hair to see how much falls out with just a gentle tug. Hair is made primarily of protein your hair needs adequate protein to grow and stay healthy. If the body is deprived of protein from your diet, it will try to conserve protein levels as much as it can and shift hair growth into a resting phase, notes WebMD. This means you may find yourself shedding more hair than usual. Maintain a healthy mane by eating two to three servings of protein a day.
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What Is The Difference Between Kwashiorkor And Marasmus
Kwashiorkor and are the two main types of severe protein-energy undernutrition recognized by healthcare providers worldwide. The main difference between them is that kwashiorkor is predominantly a protein deficiency, while marasmus is a deficiency of all macronutrients protein, carbohydrates and fats. People with marasmus are deprived of calories in general, either because theyre eating too little or expending too many, or both. People with kwashiorkor may not be deprived of calories in general but are deprived of protein-rich foods.