Research
Energy balance
An estimated average protein requirement of 0.66 g/kg body weight per day of good-quality protein is probable for healthy adults, with a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of 0.83 g/kg/day established via nitrogen balance studies.
For most healthy adults, aiming for 0.83 grams of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight daily is sufficient to meet nutritional requirements. You do not need to consume excessive amounts of protein for basic health maintenance.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In summary, the evidence is assessed as probable regarding the estimated average requirement and the subsequent RDA of 0.83 g good-quality protein/kg BW per day (Table 1).
Why this rating
Graded as 'probable' (moderate evidence) based on multiple high-quality nitrogen balance studies and meta-analyses.
Source
Health effects of protein intake in healthy adults: a systematic literature review
Agnes N. Pedersen et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2013
DOI 10.3402/fnr.v57i0.21245
Meta-analysis · 64 studiesCited 168×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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