bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Wynnie Chan

This week: Jason Yang, 15
Jason asks: What are the symptoms of protein deficiency?
Wynnie says: Protein is a nutrient that is needed for growth and muscle maintenance.
Adolescents need between 45g and 60g  of protein a day. You can work out exactly how much protein you need if you know how much you weigh.
Teens need to eat about 0.5g  of protein for every 0.5kg they weigh. For example, if you weigh  50kg, then you'll need to eat 55g  of protein a day.
You can look at food labels or check the table  on this page to find out how much protein is in a serving.
Most teens easily meet their daily protein requirements by eating beef, eggs, fish and dairy products.
Tofu and other soy products, grains, beans and nuts are all good sources of protein.
Protein deficiency in young people is quite rare in  modern cities.
However, it occurs in situations of extreme poverty, in hospitalised patients and the elderly. Protein deficiency leads to a severe lack of energy.
Our  bodies need sufficient energy to  stay healthy and break down protein and fat to ensure we have enough.
Protein deficiency can lead to stunted growth in children and muscle wasting. It also affects the heart, makes you more vulnerable to infections, stops cuts healing and causes swelling in the hands and feet.
Jason's diary
Breakfast: Fried egg  and brown bread
Lunch: Chicken or beef with rice and Chinese vegetables
Dinner: Chicken or beef with rice and Chinese vegetables
Drinks: Milk, orange juice, apple juice, water
Exercise: Swimming everyday, five hours of badminton a week, hiking during the weekend
Protein content in food
Food  Protein
55g cheddar cheese 14g
100g cooked chicken breast 31g
100g roast duck 24g
100g pork spare ribs pork 29g
100g stewed beef 20g
100g cooked cod 17g
2 large pork sausages 9g
1 whole boiled egg 6g
1 cup milk 8g
1 tablespoon peanut butter 4g
2 tablespoons baked beans 4g
1 cup cooked white rice 4g
1 cup cooked pasta 5g
100g tofu 9g
12 cooked prawns 17g
140g canned tuna 24g
220g low-fat yoghurt 12g
Adapted from McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods, sixth edition. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 2000



Eat plenty of protein