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Protein is a macronutrient made of amino acids. These amino acids are the main building blocks of our body and so, these are directly responsible for the growth, repair, and maintenance of tissues. Protein is the ingredient that forms and strengthens muscles and bones; produces enzymes and hormones; and maintains healthy skin, hair, and nails.
In short, you'd better get enough of it through your diet. After all, if you are protein deficient, you run the risk of a slew of health problems.
But does protein deficiency cause your bones to ache? Keep reading as we’ll discuss this and more!
Protein deficiency doesn’t directly cause bones to hurt. However, it can indirectly cause bone and muscle pains, especially for athletes.
Protein is crucial for the growth and maintenance of muscles. When you don't get enough of it through your diet, your body starts breaking downyour muscles for proteins – to make up for the shortage. That’s why a protein deficiency can cause severemuscle wasting among older adults.
There are three instances in which protein deficiency may be involved in bone pain.
Low protein intake causes loss of bone density. This can lead toosteoporosis, especially in older people. Osteoporosis is an extremely painful health condition that reduces overall quality of life.
Loss of bone density also increases the risk of bone fractures. Since a lack of protein compromises bone health, these painful fractures become more likely.
A lack of protein can also cause joint pain. It’s because low protein diminishes the production of the synovial fluid that lubricates joints. A lack of synovial fluid can cause stiffness and inflammation in the joints, which is excruciatingly painful.
Though a lack of protein doesn't ordinarily cause body pain, it might indirectly lead to body pain. Protein helps maintain muscle mass. When the body doesn’t get enough protein it can lead to muscle loss, which reduces overall joint and bone support.
Additionally, weakened muscles are unable to fully support the skeletal frame. This means the load on the bones is more than they can support, putting extreme pressure on soft bones and cartilage - causing discomfort and joint pain.
Studies show that theprotein requirements of athletes are higher than those of inactive individuals. Although protein requirements cannot be precisely determined, researchers recommend athletes consume at least 1.8-2.0 g of protein per 1 kilogram of their body weight per day.
Muscle pain (myalgia) has many causes. However, protein deficiency is not considered a key contributing factor to muscle pains.
However, protein deficiency is one factor that indirectly causes muscle pain. It’s because when the body lacks sufficient protein, it starts to break down muscle tissue for energy. This causes muscle wasting, resulting in muscle discomfort or pain.
It can also lead to joint pain since muscles play a crucial role in supporting and cushioning joints. So, if your muscles grow weak due to protein deficiency, it may negatively affect your joints.
Some causes of bone pain are obvious and need no diagnosis. For instance, when you hurt your leg by falling from a height, it may cause damage to bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and tissues.
Apart from physical trauma (injuries), bone pain can also be the result ofnumerous health conditions, including:
Osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis
Avascular necrosis (osteonecrosis)
Bone infection.
Vitamin D deficiency
Paget’s disease of the bone (osteitis deformans).
Low bone density.
Rickets
Certain benign bone tumors
Cancers include bone cancer, osteosarcoma, leukemia, and metastatic cancer.
It is relatively easy to increase your protein intake but to do that, you must first know which foods contain protein. It's important to remember that protein is made up of 20 amino acids. The body manufactures 11 of these. But the other 9, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from your diet.
Complete protein sources that have all 20 amino acids include:
Meats including poultry, lamb, and pork.
Fish
Seafood
Milk and milk products like yogurt and cheese
Eggs
You will notice that the list above consists of animal products. For vegetarians and vegans, the plant-based protein sources are:
Legumes (dried beans)
Whole grains including spelled, teff, einkorn, barley, sorghum, quinoa, farro, and buckwheat
Oats
Unpolished rice
Nuts
Seeds like chia, hemp, flax, and sesame
Plant sources of complete proteins include:
Soya and soya-derived tempeh, miso, tofu, and edamame
Quinoa
Hemp and chia seeds
Buckwheat
Amaranth
Nutritional yeast
Blue-green algae like spirulina
How to Create Complete Protein Dishes based on Plant Proteins:
Combine beans and whole grains: chickpea curry on wild rice.
Combine whole grains with nuts and seeds: fried unpolished rice sprinkled with seeds.
Combine beans with nuts and seeds: lentils bake with a crust of oats and sesame.
Remember, the incomplete proteins become complete when you combine them with complete sources of protein, like cheese, milk, yogurt, or egg.
Admittedly, vegetables are not forerunners in the protein contest – except for legumes, beans, and peas. Other vegetables that contain some protein include:
Mushrooms (actually a fungus)
Baby marrows
Potatoes (yes, you read that right)
Spinach
Asparagus
Kale
Avocado
Artichokes
Sweet corn
So, a good idea for vegetarians is to pick a plant-based protein powder. Just make sure it’s a standard product that is third-party verified, like organicpea-protein-based powder.
Since we’re here for the bone pains, you may wonder:
It's unlikely that protein powders will completely or instantly alleviate bone pains. After all, a protein powder isn’t a painkiller. However, protein powders can indirectly reduce bone pain.
High-quality protein powders can contribute to overall bone health by supporting muscle growth and strength. These also lessen painful inflammation. Again, these can't directly relieve pain.
The primary function of these powders is to act as a supplementary protein source to support muscle growth, repair, and boost overall health.
In addition to protein, the following nutrients are important for bone health:
Calcium- Dairy products, leafy greens, fortified plant milks.
Vitamin D – Sunlight, fatty fish, fortified foods, egg yolks.
Magnesium - Nuts, seeds, whole grains, leafy greens.
Phosphorus - Meat, dairy, legumes, and whole grains.
Vitamin K2 - Fermented foods, cheeses, and meat.
Zinc - Red meat, poultry, whole grains, beans.
Boron - Nuts, prunes, raisins, and avocados.
Protein is the primary building block of the body. Without it, the body can't build or repair damaged muscles, and this can lead to painful discomfort. The body may also start consuming muscles in the absence of enough protein.
A lack of protein can also cause joint pain by triggering changes in the synovial fluid or joint lubricant.
So, increasing your protein intake will likely help relieve bone pain. Aside from diet, you can pick a protein powder to ensure you consume enough protein every day.