Recover faster with proteins

We get the daily portion of protein through our diet. The body then makes proteins of its own from these dietary proteins. You need at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. For someone who weighs 70 kilos, this is 56 grams per day. This is usually easy, because a portion of chicken breast already provides 31 grams of protein, and a cup of buttermilk 8 grams. But if you’re sick or don’t eat meat, it’s important to watch your protein intake.

Faster recovery through… proteins

Malnutrition is a regular occurrence in hospitals, nursing homes and in people requiring home care. Recent research shows that 25 to 40 percent of patients in hospital are malnourished. In nursing homes this is 20 to 25 percent and in home care 15 to 25 percent. How did that happen? Because being sick eats up energy. The immune system is working overtime, fever and wound healing take a lot of energy, and by diarrhea or vomiting, nutrients are lost that the body has not been able to absorb.

Everyone thinks it is normal for people who are sick to lose weight, but it is certainly not healthy. A weight loss of more than 10 percent in six months, or 5 percent in a month, should set alarm bells ringing. Overweight people can therefore also become malnourished, due to illness but also due to a self-imposed diet. In case of illness, however, malnutrition is more serious, because it takes longer to recover.

Preventing Malnutrition

Unwanted weight loss and malnutrition are downright dangerous. They ensure that muscle mass and strength decrease, that you become tired and listless and that the immune system weakens. In addition, the risk of complications such as the infamous ‘bedsores’ is increasing at a rapid rate. In addition, recovery from illness takes longer.

Extra proteins can ensure that the negative spiral of weight loss and muscle breakdown is broken. It is not without reason that many patients in hospital are given protein-rich drinking food.

Sick at home? Take double savory toppings, an extra glass of milk or a bowl of custard, and rather eat that piece of meat than the potatoes. If you have trouble eating, you can order special protein-rich drinking food from the pharmacy.

Protein for vegetarians

There are animal proteins (in meat, dairy, eggs and fish) and there are vegetable proteins (in grains, legumes and nuts). Animal proteins are richer in essential amino acids. Meat and fish, for example, are perfectly attuned to the amino acid needs of our body. The protein requirement of vegetarians is higher than that of meat eaters: 0.96 grams per kilogram of body weight against 0.8 grams. For vegans, it is even 1.04 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Anyone who eats vegetarian would therefore also do well to regularly include animal products such as milk, dairy and milk Eggs to put on the menu. If you eat completely plant-based, you should pay extra attention to the proteins in the diet. The trick is then to combine protein-rich products with each other, so that there is a greater chance that you will get all the amino acids. Think of a combination of legumes and grains, or soy and nuts.