too much protien?

hey, i am a 19 yr old female, 5'10'', 135 lbs, and a vegetarian. I have been noticing that my protein levels aren't too high, so i bought protein powder and occasionally have a clif bar (YUM). I don't use the powder every day, just when i don't think i get enough.

i run almost every day and weight lift about 4-5 times a week.

basically my question is about how much protein should i be getting, and how much is too much?

Thanks

According to NutritionData.com's daily needs calculator (http://www.nutritiondata.com/tools/calories-b urned)
you should be getting about 49 grams of protein minimum

most americans think that they need way more protein than they really do, so don't sweat it too much.  you can get all the protein you need and then some from fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, whole grains, soy products.

If you're lifting and working out a lot, the timing of your protein is important.  Make sure you have a shake or a protein bar within 30 minutes of your workout to replenish your glycogen stores and prevent muscle wasting.

if you want more accurate information on protein in general read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell.

here's the lowdown: as adults, we only need 6% of our calorie intake to be protein based...most of that extra protein you're eating is excreted, and it takes minerals like calcium with it. some of this extra protein is what forms tumors (think CANCER).

by the by, everyone has different needs based on size and age, so percentages are more significant than total grams.

studies of both humans and lab rats have shown that excessive protein intake, especially animal protein, leads to disease. ALSO, increased intake of plant protein did SLIGHTY raise disease risk.

anyone who tells you you need more than 6-8% protein (for a 1700 calorie diet 6%=25.5grams of protein) is either working for the dairy counsel, the cattleman's club....or some other assholes trying to sell you useless crap like powdered protein or clif bars. just because they advertise a brownie as health food doesn't mean it's good for you.

people can survive on merely fruits and vegetables...and a smidge of legumes/nuts/seeds. the longest living people on earth have been doing it for centuries (see: Healthy at 100 by John Robbins).

want what's best for yourself? go whole-foods vegan.

Actually, eleanoraylward, using your computation, she wouldn't be getting enough protein to sustain muscle at the activity level she is in right now. Understand that I fully support a vegan diet and you can get alot of nutrients from plant based products, I even bought a soy protein powder with 20 grams of protein per serving that I use to make homeade protein bars!
If you are weight lifting, then you need to consume more protein in order to sustain the muscle you are building [since muscle is 15-20% protein], so being in the 100 range is good.
From Go Ask Alice: "Once you start a strength-training routine, you should eat an extra 500 or so calories each day in order to build muscle mass, even if you don't need to eat more protein. It's also important to take in enough carbohydrates: too few carbs will mean that your muscles won't have adequate fuel, so you may easily feel tired or weak from exercise."
This may help: Top protein intake needs to be 1.5 - 2.0 g/kg of body weight. For our 135 lb. (divided by 2.2 = 61.36 kg) lifter, this would be 92 - 122 grams of protein per day.
Normally protein intake is reccomended to be 0.8g/kg, but since you are lifting, I figure you needed more.
We're the same weight, so I thought it may be helpful.
Sorry for writing a book, and good luck. :)
(edit: added quote)