Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. It forms the building blocks for your muscles, blood, immune system and more. If you aren't getting enough fuel in the form of carbohydrates and fat to run your body properly, it will take energy from protein to run your basic bodily systems.Taken to the extreme, a lack of protein in the diet can lead to a condition known as kwashiorkor, which can lead to loss of muscle mass, stunted growth, impaired immunity and weakening of the circulatory and respiratory systems. This sort of protein deficiency isn't really seen in the Western world because it is easy for us to get enough protein.There is some debate on what is a healthy amount of protein when it comes to the side effects of too much protein in the diet. Most health experts say we need between 0.8 and 1 gram of protein per kilogram of weight a day (about 7 grams per 20 pounds. So a person who weighs 150 pounds would need around 52 grams a day.
That's actually a lot of protein, but it isn't that difficult to get if you eat lean meat and fish, nuts, beans and legumes and dairy products. For instance a 6-ounce lean hamburger has about 48 grams of protein, and a cup of yogurt has about 12 grams.