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Protein Gap In Indian Diet: Quality Is The Problem, Not Quantity

Protein Gap In Indian Diet: Quality Is The Problem, Not Quantity

It is important to ensure that your daily meals meet not just the required quantity of protein but quality as well. Experts at Superfoods Valley tell you how to fill this protein gap.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori |Updated : January 19, 2023 11:55 AM IST

Proteins are one of the essential components of a healthy diet. They are commonly referred to as the building blocks of the body since they play a crucial role in muscle maintenance, skin, hormones, and all body tissues. But studies have revealed that most Indians are protein deficient. When we talk about protein gap in Indian meals, quality is the problem, not quantity, say experts at Superfoods Valley.

The challenge is that Indian diet tends to be very cereal-focused. While cereals like aloo, atta, chawal alone might meet the protein quantity, quality of protein remains a big challenge.

Sheela Krishnaswamy, nutrition and wellness consultant and member of the Superfoods Valley scientific council, tells TheHealthSite, "While everyone is aware of the importance of protein for good health, not many are aware that the current Indian meals are lacking in the quality of protein. Eating a carbohydrate-heavy meal doesn't satisfy the requirement of all essential amino acids. Therefore, it is important to balance the daily meals with not just quantity of protein but quality too."

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According to her, combining cereals with pulses helps to complete the essential amino acid profile in a vegetarian diet while a non-vegetarian meal provides essential amino acids through egg and meats.

Clearing up misconceptions about protein

Speaking to TheHealthSite, Amarpreet Singh Anand, CEO & Founder Superfoods Valley, clears some of the misconceptions about protein gap among Indians, as well as shares tips to boost the quality of protein in your diet. The conversation follows:

Q. Why is protein important?

Protein is vital for:

Building a healthy, strong body: Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, and skin. Additionally, our hair and nails are comprised mostly of protein.

Repairing damage: Your body uses protein to build and repair tissue after injury, and to maintain muscle tone.

Supplying oxygen: Red blood cells contain a protein called haemoglobin, this is a compound that carries oxygen throughout the body. Protein is essential for haemoglobin to be produced in sufficient quantities.

Digesting food: About half the protein that you consume each day goes into synthesizing enzymes, which aids in digesting food.

Regulating hormones: Protein plays a critical role in hormone regulation, especially during the transformation and development of cells during puberty.

Q. What are the food sources of protein?

Protein is generally found in pulses, millets and cereals, dairy products like milk and curd, nuts, non- vegetarian foods like egg, meat, fish.

Q. How much protein do we need? The quantity story.

An adult typically requires 54g of protein per day as per ICMR RDA report, 2020.

Population based surveys in India like NSSO (2011-12) shows that Indians do consume this much amount daily in their diet.

So, the real issue is the poor-quality protein.

Q. Then, what type of protein do we need? Tell us the quality story.

Protein is made up of 20 amino acids, and the body can produce 11 of these 20. This means that the remaining nine must come from food. These 9 remaining amino acids are essential amino acids.

Complete proteins provide all essential amino acids, which cannot be made by the body.

  • Milk, Egg, Meat and Soya are examples of complete protein.
  • Most plant foods (except soya) lack one essential amino acid.

For example, cereals are deficient in lysine (an essential amino acid), and pulses lack in methionine. Data shows that Indians consume cereals the most amongst all food groups, both in urban and rural India. Even though the RDA for protein is met, the protein is of poor quality as cereals are incomplete proteins.

Q. What can we do to fill this protein gap?

Protein deficiency on quantity remains the biggest myth in nutrition history. It's the quality where we need interventions to solve for the actual amino acid gap.

Lysine remains as the critical protein building block which can be a gap filler as cereals lack Lysine and Indians consume mostly cereals.

Diversifying your diets with all the important food groups that are a part of Indian thali remains to be the biggest solution for Indian diet. Have those portions of dahi/chaas/milkshakes/paneer, dal, nuts, those omelettes. Add nuts and seeds to your salads, smoothies as they have not only the quantity but also the quality of protein you require.