Why do we need more protein?

I am no medical professional, this is really out of curiosity. I will follow my plan and you follow yours, deal? Deal.

Now that we have that out of the way. I have been trying to figure out why so many say we should be getting 100+ g of protein. My doctor actually told me to back off when I told him I was getting 80-90g. According to CDC Women only need 46g. Now when you check Unjury's website they suggest 70-80g. American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery suggest to get at least 60 to 80 g. These are the big wigs of bariatrics and they say 60-80g.

So, my question is why does a normal woman only need 46g, but according to many people on this board, their doctors say 100+g. Our absorption has not changed. What is different? I get 55-75g a day. Which is above what the CDC says and mostly in line with the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Anyone know more on this?

You have to realize- the CDC guide is a baseline for preventing deficiency, not the optimum..  just the barest minimum to squeak by.. That said, most women do just fine with 70-80g unless you are interested in serious bodybuilding. More than that is just more.. The remainder of your cals over and above should really come from fats, with some carbs to round it out if you choose.. but for the vast majority- 70-90g protein a day/average is more than plenty. YMMV, your way of eating is going to be personal to YOU, find what works and makes you feel best (and look best/test out best) and adjust as needed. 

I'm glad you responded. I respect your opinion very much on here! I understand what you mean about the CDC. I don't plan to go that low in protein. I am happy at the amounts I am getting now. I usually get at least 60. I feel good. I'm not lacking energy. I know when I start exercising more I will need to add something extra to help my body recover and that's fine.

Thank you so much for responding!

with wls you are eating less calories than you need to function in your daily activities.  The rest comes from burning fat and muscle.  you need the protein to continuously rebuild the muscle mass you loose.  The actual amount you need you should be able to get from your nutritionist, based on your current weight and estimated muscle mass.  For me, I need about 95g at my current weight, and will need about 75g at my ideal weight.  Men need more due to higher percent of muscle mass relative to women (on average).

average or general values dont apply to people on severely restricted caloric diets.  a short person will need less, a fat will need more than a skinny, etc.

I am one the struggles to get my protein levels higher for my labs. I average 60-80 grams a day but I probably need to add a shake and I dread doing so.

We are post WLS patients. Yes we have a fully functioning stomach but the portion removed DID also help with absorption (reason we need b12). Even partial Gastrectomy patients make similar dietary changes. A protein deficiency can seriously make you I'll and die. It weakens your muscles (including the heart), you'll feel sluggish, nails become brittle and hair falls out. It is much easier to stay on top of vitamins/protein, than it is to play catch up.

I think it's a misconception to think our absorption of nutrients has not changed with VSG. For instance, we have to take B12 sublingually because we don't produce the intrinsic factor to absorb B12 in the gastro-intestinal tract any longer. That part of our stomach has been removed so we need to take the B12 sublingually. My guess is that there are other differences in absorption, too, though nowhere to the degree that RNY of DS cause mal-absorption!

I have a relative who had a partial gastrectomy due to bleeding ulcers. His gastro doc had him eating extra protein for the rest of his life to compensate for the reduction of the stomach. He also had to take B12 sublingually.

Another thing to consider is that, as I understand it, the CDC lists minimum requirements to avoid malnutrition. I could be wrong on that, but that is what I understand. So if 46 grams of protein is recommended for women that is the recommended requirement to prevent malnutrition, not what might be optimal. I think most programs call for between 70 and 100 grams of protien. Of course, each person is individual and everyone's protein requirements will vary slightly. I think if you fall anywhere in that range and are happy and feeling healthy, you're doing just fine.

 

I read here a lot about needing B12. My doctor said all I need is a good multi and that's it. I did buy some B12 thinking I would need it, but haven't taken it because I was told just the multi. I do have an appointment with a PCP to become established. I plan on telling him about my surgery and asking him to order the works on my labs. That way I can stay healthy and catch something early if I'm not doing enough.

My doctor said more or less the same thing. But he also clarified with the following. The body has enough stores of B12 for one year roughly. So in the first year post op you will likely test fine on the B12 if you test just the active B12 that is in your blood. You won't know if it is because you are absorbing it or if it is being released from the reserve account. If that is the case, the reserve will tank by one year and you will be getting shots of B12 to catch up - worst case scenario. So he did recommend that I take B12 to keep my levels higher than the average so that any extra can go into maintaining the stores. I usually pop a sublingual either 500 mg every other day or a 2500 mg once a week with my weekly D3 (i also take that once a week). There doesn't seem to be a toxicity associated with too much vitamin B12.

Wow Julia, this is really interesting. I'm so glad you mentioned it. I was taking sublingual B12 the first 3 months postop and my B12 lab result was off the charts (>2000). I stopped taking the supplements, and my 6 month result was lower, although still high (around 1200). I'm not taking any B12 supplements because I didn't see the point if my levels were running high without them. Based on what you are saying, I should still be taking them! Guess I need to rethink this! Thank you!

Not saying that your levels will tank but I would like to keep the reserve full. You never know!!! So yes, my levels were high too but doc said its not a toxicity issue so I should find a balance. So I sometimes take, sometimes not. Will know how that works next week probably when I get the results of my six months labs.