No doubt about it, protein is good for you. Health science not only supports protein consumption, but encourages you to increase the amount in your diet. Ounce for ounce, pasture-raised meats are some of the most protein dense foods you can eat. The following are 10 scientific, evidence-based benefits of eating protein:
1 - Reduces Appetite Levels
Studies show that protein makes you feel more full, with less food. This is because protein reduces your level of the hunger hormone ghrelin. It also boosts the levels of peptide YY, a hormone that makes you feel full.
2 - Increases Muscle Mass
Protein is the building block of your muscles. Protein not only aids in building muscle mass while trying to gain weight, but it can also aid in maintaining muscle mass when trying to lose weight.
3 - Good For Your Bones
Several long-term studies indicate that protein, including animal protein, has major benefits for bone health – maintaining strong bone health and reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
4 - Reduce Late Night Cravings
The best way to curb those nagging snack cravings is by increasing your protein intake. One study in overweight men showed that increasing protein to 25% of calories reduced cravings by 60% and the desire to snack at night by half.
5 - Increase Fat Burning
High protein intake has been shown to significantly boost metabolism and increase the number of calories you burn. This can amount to 80–100 more calories burned each day
6 - Lower Blood Pressure
Higher protein intake is linked to lower blood pressure. One study found that, in addition to lowering blood pressure, a high-protein diet also reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.
7 - Maintain Weight Loss
In a 12-month study of 130 overweight people on a calorie-restricted diet, the high-protein group lost 53% more body fat than a normal-protein group eating the same number of calories.
8 - Harmless To Kidneys
Studies have dispelled the myth that high protein intake is harmful to the kidneys with many studies underscoring that high-protein diets have no negative impact on people without kidney disease.
9 - Supports Recovery
Protein can help your body repair after it has been injured and numerous studies corroborate that a higher intake of protein can help speed up recovery.
10 - Anti-Aging
As you age, muscle mass rapidly decreases and you involuntarily start to lose muscle mass, strength and function, termed sarcopenia. The presence of sarcopenia increases the risks of falls and vulnerability to injury. Eating more protein is one of the best ways to reduce age-related muscle deterioration and prevent sarcopenia.
