Nitrogen Balance: a metric you may not have heard about

When you think of health, you probably think of weight, muscle, or maybe blood sugar. But there’s a quieter, deeper signal that tells you whether your body is thriving.

It is called the nitrogen balance.

So what is nitrogen balance and how do you achieve it? Nitrogen is the key element in protein. They build your muscles, repair tissues, make enzymes, and support your immune system.

When your body is in negative nitrogen balance, it means you are losing more nitrogen than you take in. Effectively, your body is eating itself to survive.

Think about it. Every time you consume protein through food, you take in nitrogen. Your body then excretes nitrogen. That’s your nitrogen loss. In a healthy, well-nourished person, these two are roughly equal.

What we call a neutral nitrogen balance.

When you are building muscle or pregnant, your intake exceeds your loss. You are consuming more nitrogen than you take in. Positive nitrogen balance.

But when you’re sick, fasting, or under chronic stress, the reverse happens. The body starts breaking down its own proteins to fuel energy and repair. You are in negative nitrogen balance.

If you wish, you can calculate your state of balance.

Nitrogen balance is the intake minus the loss. Typically, 1 gram of nitrogen equals about 6.25 grams of protein.

If you eat 100 grams of protein, which has 16 grams of nitrogen, and excrete 18 grams of nitrogen in urine, you are in a negative balance. It may be 2 grams, but it adds up.

So what can you do?

Start by eating adequate high-quality protein.

The amount can range from 0.8g of protein to 1.6g depending on how active you are or how old you are.

Eggs, fish, dairy and garbanzo, for example. Manage stress, sleep, and recovery, because catabolic hormones like cortisol can worsen protein breakdown.

Maintaining a positive nitrogen balance isn’t just about muscle. It is life. Feed your body what it needs to grow, preferably through home-cooked food eaten fresh.

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