Proteins for Women: 5 Facts at a Glance

The fact that proteins provide large amounts of muscle is a myth that prevents many women from consuming enough protein. In fact, a high-protein diet contributes enormously to well-being and also helps to tone and shape the body. Those who do without the important nutrient risk breaking down muscle mass, promoting cravings, and weakening their immune system.

In order to remove all uncertainties once and for all, we put the facts on the table. Here you can find out why protein is not only important for muscle building but also helps with weight loss and what effects a protein deficiency can have. In addition, we have collected the most important natural protein sources for you.

What are proteins and what are they used for?

In addition to carbohydrates and fats, proteins (also called protein) are among the three most important nutrients for our body. Often, protein is also referred to as the building material of life, as it serves as the basis for the construction of all body cells, such as muscles, bones, and cartilage, but also hair and nails.

Proteins are composed of so-called amino acids, of which there are a total of 21. Eight of these amino acids are considered essential, which means that they cannot be formed by the body itself and must therefore be absorbed through food. Which different proteins are formed depends on how many amino acids combine to form a so-called amino acid chain.

According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), the recommended daily intake of protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Depending on how active you are, however, the daily requirement may also be significantly higher. With a balanced diet, this amount can usually be achieved without any problems. Only in rare cases can a protein deficiency occur. This is manifested, for example, by the loss of muscle mass, cravings, mood swings or weakness of the immune system.

Why a high-protein diet also makes sense for women

When you think of proteins, you often have the image of muscle-laden men and heavy weights in your head. Women are therefore often afraid of gaining mass due to excessive protein intake. Instead of meeting their protein needs to build and maintain muscle, many prefer to focus on a calorie deficit to achieve their dream figure. In this way, however, they lose not only fat, but also muscle, making the body more flaccid than toned.

Even if losing weight is the stated goal, this should always be done with the intention of losing as little muscle mass as possible. Muscles are extremely important for our well-being and health. Only through them can we move at all. They also protect us from injury, keep us warm and even help us lose weight, as they burn significantly more energy than other body tissues.

In addition, the fear of broad shoulders and muscular thighs in women is completely unfounded. What contributes significantly to the muscle building of men is not protein, but the hormone testosterone. Since women produce significantly less of it, their physical predisposition does not allow them to build up huge mountains of muscle.

So there is no reason to do without the important nutrient. On the contrary, women should also take care to consume enough protein, especially if they exercise regularly . Protein not only supports muscle building but also promotes regeneration. Sporty women and men should consume about 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

Protein deficiency leads to cravings and harms well-being

If you eat too little protein, you not only risk muscle loss, but also have to reckon with other physical consequences, such as:

The effects of too little protein impact well-being and keep us from achieving our weight loss goals. Since protein helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, it is the best weapon against cravings and the infamous yo-yo effect. So make sure to eat enough protein at every meal to eliminate the desire for high-calorie foods.

Proteins also satiate you for a long time and should therefore not be missing in your diet if you want to avoid weight gain. In addition, the proteins help you build muscle mass. The increased muscle percentage in the human body also means that you burn more calories in everyday life and therefore need more energy.

Protein requirements in women

First of all, the protein requirements of men and women are not so different, so recommendations can be applied to all genders. As already mentioned, the DGE recommends an intake of at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. However, how much protein you should actually consume depends on your activity level and the type of exercise you do. In addition, children and adolescents need a higher intake of proteins.

It also plays a role in what type of proteins are absorbed. Each food has a so-called biological value, which provides information about how well the protein contained in it can be absorbed by the body. A chicken egg is used as a reference value, to which a biological value of 100 is attributed.

The higher the value, the better. In principle, animal protein sources have a higher biological value than plant proteins . Through clever combination, however, purely plant-based meals can also achieve a high value and the daily protein requirement can also be covered by a vegan diet.

Proteins make you beautiful and slim

We remind ourselves once again that proteins are the building material of our cells. This also means that they strengthen the connective tissue, allow hair and nails to grow, and contribute to the regeneration of the skin. In this context, the protein collagen is often mentioned, which is one of the most abundant proteins in the human body and has a positive effect on skin, joints, and tendons. In addition, muscles ensure a well-formed body. Due to the increased well-being due to a sufficient protein intake, we feel beautiful all around – inside and out.

Healthy through natural protein sources

Athletes in particular like to use dietary supplements such as protein shakes or protein powders to meet their daily protein requirements. The supposedly fast protein source is often not as healthy as it seems at first glance. Often artificial ingredients and large amounts of sugar are contained in the protein products.

If you want to do without preservatives, sugar, and the like, it is better to use natural protein sources. Some of the best plant foods include:

At Verival, for example, we rely on pumpkin seed or sunflower protein for our Sport Porridge cocoa banana. Thanks to the clever combination of different protein sources, you can cover 20% of your daily protein needs with just one serving of porridge. In contrast to other plant-based protein sources, pumpkin and sunflower protein are particularly easy to digest and are also ideal for a vegan diet.