Skip to content
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Protein Deficiency In Adults
Madhura MohanProtein deficiency in adults shows up as muscle loss, fatigue, frequent illness, excessive hair fall, poor wound healing, bone fractures, persistent food cravings, and swelling in the feet or face.
Recognising these signs early helps you correct your diet before the deficiency compounds into a bigger health problem.
Most people are still of the opinion that biceps are the only thing that protein reinforces. There is a need to reinforce the importance of protein overall. Protein is not just crucial for your muscles, but is essential for a variety of bodily functions and is an important component of every cell in the body.
If you remember, in our school days, our teacher used to define protein as the building block of life. This article throws light on the importance of protein for good health and tells you about what signs indicate you are protein deficient.
What Is Protein Deficiency?
Protein deficiency occurs when your daily dietary intake of protein falls below what your body needs to carry out its vital functions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adult men need approximately 56g and adult women approximately 46g of protein per day. Consistently consuming less than this leads to a gradual breakdown of bodily processes, from immune function to muscle integrity.
Protein is required to build immune cells, hormones, enzymes, haemoglobin, neurotransmitters, and to build and repair muscles, stabilise blood sugar, maintain proper circulation, and grow healthy nails and hair. At AS-IT-IS Nutrition, across thousands of customer consultations, the most overlooked aspect of protein deficiency is not muscle loss but the immune and hormonal symptoms that show up months before muscle changes become visible.
Consuming too little protein, over time, can impact every aspect of your health. It can impede your fitness, make you gain weight, make you sick, and more.
How Do We Know We Are Lacking This Vital Nutrient? Let's Learn Below...
Can Protein Deficiency Stop You From Losing Weight?
Yes. Without adequate protein, your body struggles to regulate appetite hormones, which causes you to eat more and store more fat rather than burn it.
If you have already read our blog, Can Whey Protein Help You Lose Weight?, you must have read this line: protein is the most important component in the process of weight loss.
Protein regulates the hormones glucagon-like peptide and cholecystokinin, which play a role in appetite control and blood sugar regulation. A protein-rich diet also suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin, keeps you full and satiated, and reduces your calorie intake, all of which contribute to weight loss.
The essential amino acids in a protein source help build muscle mass and lose body fat. The recommended daily amount of protein required for an average man is 56g and 46g for women (WHO). Consume accordingly to get the desired fitness results.
Why Does Low Protein Stall Muscle Gain?
Low protein stalls muscle gain because your body cannot repair the muscle fibres broken down during exercise without a sufficient amino acid supply, so it breaks down existing tissue instead of building new muscle.
When you do not supply your body with enough dietary protein, your muscle mass gets depleted. This is especially true among the elderly and women of menopause age, in whom muscle mass is inherently on the decline.
When you do your workout, you break down your muscles. To repair and rebuild them, a proper protein supply is paramount. Not fuelling your body with protein after a workout leads only to muscle breakdown, which ultimately results in muscle loss.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They help build muscle mass, repair and regrow it. When you skip protein intake for several days or weeks, you experience a loss of muscle mass and strength. Research published by the National Institutes of Health confirms that dietary protein is essential for muscle protein synthesis and recovery. Fuel with a quality source of protein within 30 minutes after your exercise.
Does Low Protein Make You Feel Hungry All The Time?
Yes. Low protein causes blood sugar to spike and crash repeatedly, which drives constant hunger and cravings for carb-rich foods.
Many people complain that no matter how often they eat, they still feel hungry. Consuming a diet high in simple carbs, low in good fat, and insufficient in protein is the chief cause for cravings.
Carbs are a good source of energy, but your body digests them rapidly and they never leave you feeling full. One of protein's critical functions is to regulate normal blood sugar levels. Eating a meal that is mostly carb without enough protein causes a rapid rise in blood sugar. The spike is followed by a drop, and this constant spiking and dropping makes you crave more carb-rich food.
Add enough protein at every meal to keep your cravings in check. A protein-rich meal is an efficient strategy to improve appetite control and prevent overeating.
Can Protein Deficiency Make You Fall Sick More Often?
Yes. Protein is the raw material your body uses to build antibodies and immune cells, so consistently low intake weakens your defences against viral and bacterial infections.
Do not connect protein merely to weight loss and building muscles. Protein is also the major contributor to stronger immunity. The antibodies and immune cells that form the powerhouse of the immune system are all reliant on protein. Consuming very little protein results in poor immunity, causing you to catch cold and cough often.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Certain essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body on its own and must be obtained through diet. Not consuming adequate dietary protein leads to a shortfall in producing antibodies. The link between protein intake and immune competence is well documented in clinical nutrition research.
Does Protein Deficiency Cause Fatigue?
Yes. Protein is a core component of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in your red blood cells. When protein intake is too low, oxygen delivery to your tissues drops, leaving you feeling persistently weak and tired.
Feeling fatigued is yet another result of protein deficiency which most people do not realise. Feeling tired after long busy hours at the office or during illness is common. But feeling tired at random times, even after 7 to 8 hours of sound sleep, is a warning sign. There is a possibility you are anaemic.
Anaemia results when your body lacks enough red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body's tissues. Not having enough protein impairs the release of erythropoietin, which causes an inadequate release of red blood cells and leads to anaemia. Over time, people who are not eating enough protein feel more fatigued than usual.
Can Low Protein Intake Cause Excessive Hair Loss?
Yes. Hair is primarily made of keratin, a protein. When your intake drops too low, your body redirects protein away from hair follicles to support more critical functions, triggering hair fall, dryness, and thinning.
Tried all the hair fall solutions available? Still cannot stop hair fall? While hair fall can result from pollution, stress, vitamin deficiency, iron deficiency, hormonal imbalance, and oxidative stress, not consuming proper protein is also a major cause.
When your protein intake is low, your body conserves it for more important functions, such as keeping your immune system active and building muscles. Not providing hair follicles with enough protein causes hair fall, dry hair, and brittle hair. Check whether you are meeting your daily protein requirements before reaching for another hair fall treatment.
Does Protein Deficiency Increase The Risk Of Bone Fractures?
Yes. Protein supports the muscles that protect and stabilise your bones. When protein intake is insufficient, muscles weaken, and your bones lose that structural support, making stress fractures significantly more likely.
It is not enough to supply your bones with a healthy dose of calcium. Your bones need a healthy dose of protein too. Protein is an important nutrient for bone health and plays a role in preventing osteoporosis and stress fractures. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, nutrition including adequate protein intake is a key factor in maintaining bone strength throughout life.
Stress fractures are tiny cracks in bones caused by overuse. They usually involve inflammation or poor muscular strength and occur most often in the lower leg and foot.
Protein is a big component of muscles, which are crucial for mobility and for preventing fractures. When your body lacks sufficient protein to fuel vital organs, it borrows from skeletal muscle tissue, causing muscles to become weak. Without strong support from skeletal muscles, your bones are more susceptible to fractures.
Can Protein Deficiency Cause Swelling In The Feet Or Face?
Yes. Protein helps keep fluid inside your blood vessels. Without enough of it, fluid leaks into surrounding tissues and accumulates, causing visible swelling, a condition known as edema.
Low levels of protein intake can lead to edema, which is fluid buildup or water retention. Edema causes swelling in your legs and feet from the accumulation of fluids.
Protein plays a role in holding salt and water inside the blood vessels, so that fluid does not leak into the surrounding tissues. While fluid retention is caused by many conditions, one prime reason is not eating enough protein. Protein deficiency may also lead to fluid buildup inside the abdominal cavity, causing a bloated belly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common signs of protein deficiency in adults?
The most common signs of protein deficiency in adults are inability to lose weight, loss of muscle mass, frequent hunger and cravings, falling sick often, fatigue, excessive hair loss, bone fractures, and swelling of the feet or face (edema).
How much protein do adults need per day?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adult men need approximately 56g and adult women approximately 46g of protein per day. Athletes and older adults may require more based on their body weight and activity levels.
Can protein deficiency cause hair loss?
Yes. Hair is primarily made of keratin, a protein. When protein intake is too low, the body prioritises protein for vital functions like immunity and muscle repair, leaving hair follicles without enough supply. This leads to hair fall, dryness, and thinning.
Can protein deficiency cause fatigue?
Yes. Protein is a component of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. Inadequate protein impairs haemoglobin production, reduces oxygen delivery to tissues, and can lead to anaemia, all of which cause fatigue.
What foods help fix protein deficiency?
High-protein foods include eggs, chicken, fish, lentils, paneer, Greek yoghurt, and whey protein. A quality whey protein concentrate is an efficient way to meet daily protein requirements, especially after a workout.
For a full overview of protein's role in human nutrition, refer to the World Health Organization fact sheet on malnutrition and nutrient deficiency.
Special attention required on protein intake. Get more serious about it.
If you are falling short on daily protein, AS-IT-IS ONE Whey Protein Concentrate is a clean, third-party tested option to close the gap. No additives, no compromise.
Also Read: 9 Must To Know Super Health Benefits Of Moringa Powder
Follow our Instagram page for the latest updates: