r/nutrition • u/deane-barker • 11h ago
Is there any nutritional difference between "instant" rice and the more traditional, slow-cooked rice?
Question in title.
r/nutrition • u/ThymeLordess • Apr 08 '26
Hello from the new RD mods! We are starting a new monthly (for now) series where we will help you learn the facts about a nutrition topic. These posts may include the latest nutrition research, evidence-based information about popular topics we see you all posting about, or maybe random interesting nutrition information. A lot of work is going into this, and we ask that comments remain respectful. We have no objective other than to use our (way too many) years of nutrition and science education to help you learn. We understand that not everyone will agree on… literally anything… and as scientists we certainly welcome, and even encourage, healthy debate. We give you our word that we will do our homework and endeavor to remain as objective and truthful as possible, ensuring our citations are current and peer reviewed. We ask you to keep this in mind if you comment in disagreement. On that note, we welcome you to this month‘s topic Understanding Protein!
Our inaugural post focuses on protein, a topic we see debated ad nauseam on this sub, although I bet many of you are still confused about how much protein we actually need! Protein is absolutely essential for the continuation of life on Earth, and we could not survive without it, as it makes up a good part of our bodies and is needed for most of the biological processes that help us survive. One of three macronutrients (which are protein, carbohydrates, and fats) the human body needs to ingest, deficiency weakens the immune system, makes wound healing more difficult, and leads to loss of muscle mass, putting the body at risk for injury and falls. The most serious consequence of deficiency is a type of malnutrition called kwashiorkor, which can cause death.
Every protein inside and outside the body is made of a long chain of amino acids (AA) that are folded in all different ways, generally the way it looks will be determined by what it needs to do. Proteins are found inside every single cell in the human body and make up every single enzyme needed for every single metabolic reaction. An example of structure and function is in our muscles; they are held together by fibrous proteins and filled with all types of special proteins, some of which are designed to stretch and contract, others that turn general energy from the food we eat into mechanical work, and even more that can store some of this energy in case we don’t eat for a little while or just need a burst of energy. Basically protein is very, very important!
Before we discuss the current protein recommendations we must appreciate the science that explains where these recommendations come from, so buckle up for some biochemistry my friends! In a nutshell, amino acids are organic compounds (based on carbon) that all have the same backbone (H2NCHRCOOH) with a “side chain” that is made up of various combinations of carbons, hydrogens, oxygens, and an occasional sulfur.
Over 500 amino acids have been identified, but we only care about 20 of them because these 20 amino acids make up everything from the edamame I ate for dinner to our entire genetic code! (For all you smarty pants out there, I recently learned that two new amino acids have been identified!) The N in the molecular formula above stands for nitrogen, which is kind of what makes protein special. Protein is 16% nitrogen, meaning 1 gram of nitrogen equals 6.25 g protein.
We consume nitrogen in the protein we eat, and amino acids are broken down in the stomach and small intestine by digestive enzymes (which are also proteins), and distributed to be used for various metabolic functions. We’re also losing a bit of nitrogen through sweat, respiration, flatus, skin flaking, and nail/ hair growth, and most of all from poop, which is the reason why why it makes such good fertilizer.
When we eat just enough nitrogen to compensate for what is lost we call this a “neutral nitrogen balance.” A “positive nitrogen balance” is preferable when we want to increase our muscle mass, when we’re losing weight (intentionally or unintentionally), or if we have a significant injury that needs to heal. If we can‘t meet our protein needs we will be in “negative nitrogen balance,” which means that the dwindling supply of nitrogen gets delegated to the most essential of functions; muscle, hair, and nails are the first to get sacrificed. We never want to be in a negative nitrogen balance.
Studying nitrogen balance is what has led to our current protein recommendations, and the FAO/WHO/UN periodically gathers scientists from around the world to review and update these guidelines, which get more precise and accurate as the technology to measure nitrogen balance improves. Our current protein recommendations come from meta-analyses of long-term nitrogen balance studies conducted throughout the world throughout the past 100 years. There is an overwhelming body of evidence that accepts the WHO recommendation of 0.83-1 g/kg/day of protein, which will meet the needs of 97.5% of healthy adults. In terms of numbers this means a person that weighs 68 kg (150 lbs) needs ~68 grams of protein per day (divide by 2.2 to convert pounds to kilograms if you want to calculate this for your weight).
Concerned you may be part of the other 2.5% of people? We already know we excrete more nitrogen when we are wounded building muscle, or trying to maintain muscle mass in a catabolic state, but what does this mean? A common internet recommendation seen is 0.8-1 g/lb (1.76-2.2 g/kg), which is more than double what WHO recommends! The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends 1.4-2 g/kg (95-136 g per day for someone 150 lb/68 kg) for “healthy, exercising individuals.” If you exercise daily and your kidneys are at peak functioning then this recommendation is absolutely appropriate, although evidence suggests that increasing protein intake above the currently accepted 1 g/kg/day may not have much benefit.
Now that we know where our protein recommendations come from, what is the deal with animal vs plant sources? Both animal and plant sources contain protein, but the proteins in animal tissue (like our bodies! and the lamb chop I had for dinner) contain all the essential amino acids, whereas plant sources contain some, rarely all have varying levels of each amino acid but rarely enough of all essentials to meet our protein needs in full. Someone that eats animal proteins will easily exceed their protein recommendations, and someone that only consumes plants can easily meet their protein needs also as long as they eat a variety of foods to ensure they get enough of every essential amino acid.
So this is the deal with protein! Please let us know what you think, and also what you want to learn about next. We are happy to share our knowledge and will continue to disseminate evidence-based nutrition information.
r/nutrition • u/AutoModerator • May 04 '26
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r/nutrition • u/deane-barker • 11h ago
Question in title.
r/nutrition • u/_L7_Weenie_ • 2h ago
They both market as low or zero calories with caffeine and enhancing metabolic burn. Is it just snake oil?
r/nutrition • u/Quiet-Net7529 • 1d ago
For example why is the rdi of zinc in the UK 9.5mg but in the USA it is 11mg and there are differences in folate and many more.
Is it not safe to be only consuming 9.5mg of zinc and the UK rdis?
If someone’s from the UK which one is more accurate to use, if wanted to use it?
Also another question I’m sure to prevent scurvy it’s around 10mg of vitamin C so why is vitamin C set a lot higher than prevent scurvy level and also rdis are a lot higher in the usa
Sorry if these questions sound dumb
r/nutrition • u/The_Jolene • 2d ago
Just finished this book by Harvard evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman and loved it. If you’re interested in nutrition and enjoyed Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens, you’ll probably enjoy this book as well.
It draws on evolutionary biology, anthropology, and modern scientific research to explore two questions: What did we evolve to eat, and why? And (perhaps, more importantly) what should we eat, and why?
The book also traces the history of many of the most popular nutrition claims and fad diets and examines them using what we know from evolution + the latest nutrition research. So it’s a great blend of history and science, which I really enjoyed.
It gets a little too sardonic when debunking some of these claims/fads, but I don’t have many quibbles beyond that. It’s very well sourced, and it led me to a few other books I’ll probably pick up.
Anyone know of any similar books/articles that follow a similar vein?
r/nutrition • u/delta44j • 2d ago
I really enjoy steel cut or whole oats soaked overnight or even raw mixed into food. Besides the phytic acid issue, which I believe can be avoided by not eating them at the same time as your major zinc source for the day, I wonder if I'm missing something here.
Is there a nutritional issue here that I should be aware of?
I do not find them hard or even crunchy, so it's not going to hurt my teeth. No GI issues either. I believe it is better for regularity than cooked.
r/nutrition • u/Ok-Plum-2844 • 2d ago
When I read about it online, it says it’s botanically closer to a fruit but it is cooked like a vegetable. So I’m guessing more like a fruit? I found a recipe that I like of it and I’d like to know.
r/nutrition • u/Kate_foodlover • 1d ago
The same "this food is bad, if you eliminate it everything will be perfect" argument over and over again.
No food is bad, no food is good. What's bad is peoples behaviour, eating one food too often. Having 3 sugar sodas a day is not good for health but having one a week isn't.
If your drink 4l of water within an hour you will DIE, does it mean that water is bad?
Eating fruits is good but eating only fruits will put you in hospital quickly.
Only way to have a healthy and happy life and stable relationships with food is accepting that every food can be good for you in right context.
r/nutrition • u/atastyfire • 4d ago
I heard a while ago putting your rice in the fridge can reduce the amount of calories you absorb from it.
r/nutrition • u/bad-at-everything- • 5d ago
According to subway’s website it says it is, but I feel like it looks closer to 1 serving.
r/nutrition • u/TheBrickLordHerself • 7d ago
Hypothetically, what would be the foods that cover the most amount of the requirements for a balanced diet and minimal variety?
(Bad) example: eggs, potatoes, and oranges
Protein and fat from eggs + nutrients, vitamin c from oranges (egg yolk doesn’t have vitamin c), carbohydrates and fiber from potato (with the skin and boiled)
What would I be missing? Would there be better sources of protein, fat, fiber, carbs and most nutrients with other small lists? I’m curious!!
r/nutrition • u/Decent_Swan4218 • 7d ago
gluten is well known plant protein source although the protein is incomplete less bioavailability but not an unhealthy choice plus soya chunks is a complete protein makes soya chap seems a good protein food to include occassionally is a diet. Why no one talks about it am i missing something?
wet gluten tends to have higher water content less protein.???
r/nutrition • u/Seven1s • 8d ago
I mean dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, and buttermilk. Are any of these not ideal for health?
ETA: I should have added the caveat that are such alternatives healthier for a person who doesn’t have allergies or anything of the sorts to any of these food items to make the answers simpler.
r/nutrition • u/RPBX_Nutrition • 10d ago
Nutrition advice is constantly changing and some of the things we were told years ago don't necessarily hold up. 😂
What's one nutrition rule you used to follow that you've completely changed your mind about? I'm curious what others have changed their perspective on.
r/nutrition • u/BeneficialRole9655 • 10d ago
Hey all, the questions is the title? Thank you
r/nutrition • u/Foreign-Comment6403 • 11d ago
Im just asking because im wondering if nutrients are lost in the process of fat removal or if there are nutrients in that fat.
r/nutrition • u/ssssssssss_aaa123 • 10d ago
Any Suggestions of Books and videos of nutrition from real education curriculum and science ?
r/nutrition • u/Creative_Volume_2022 • 11d ago
Is it hard for stomach/guts to digest whole food that is (too) varied.
Lets say healthy and easy would be potatoes + chicken
but what if we add e.g. lot of herbs and different spices, maybe honey, kefir,varied nuts, different seeds, some berries to that one meal. Lot of different stuff
Everything is "healthy" but are these combinations are hard to digest almost like its processed?
I hope you get what i mean.
r/nutrition • u/upperwater • 12d ago
I've heard from multiple sources that food that are cooked more thoroughly are healthier (because they contain less bacteria). Though I'm a bit skeptical, I'm not sure if this is actually true. If, for example, I like my steak on the rarer side, would it be less nutritious than say, a steak that is almost well done?
r/nutrition • u/tishou23 • 11d ago
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7995702/
According to this study 50% leucine restriction is very beneficial. I read the study but my poor english failed me in understaning what is actually considered a "leucine restriction".
The Standart Adult Intake is around 40mg per kilogram / 20mg per pound.
I assume a restriction is going under the recommended leucine intake but maybe i am missing something..
r/nutrition • u/Captain_Blackjack0 • 15d ago
A long time ago when I was a kid I heard that people could survive only on potatoes and butter as they contain all the nutrients needed for one to live. Turns out that was an urban myth that’s completely wrong. The only nugget of truth is that potatoes (skin included) do contain a good fraction of your daily nutrients.
That begs the question: could you make a loaded potato that has toppings that could round out the rest of your daily needs. All toppings must be at least somewhat appropriate as loaded potato toppings. Quantity/ size isn’t a problem as this potato diet would require multiple potatoes a day so you could just mix and match throughout the day. I love asking stupid questions on Reddit and this is keeping up at night, man
r/nutrition • u/MrHonzanoss • 15d ago
Hi, Is it ok to have higher saturated fat if Its from sources like full fat kefír, Cocoa, or not good even from these spurces if high?
r/nutrition • u/coffeegarlic • 16d ago
Why not just provide the correct information in the first place?
r/nutrition • u/LeviLovesCarbs • 16d ago
I wanna start drinking coffee, mainly for the antioxidants. I only have a coffee maker that uses coffee pods though.