Is protein actually good for our health? – Firstpost

Protein intake dominates fitness advice. Whether you want to build muscle, improve your fitness or watch your weight, the common advice handed out by everyone from fitness influencers to doctors is that we need more protein.

But while protein does play an essential role in maintaining our
muscle mass and overall health, all this increased attention on the importance of protein
in the media and
fitness circles has sparked a surge in products marketed specifically for their protein content. Some chocolate bars, ice cream, pizza, coffee and even alcoholic beverages now
market themselves as protein foods.

But our enthusiasm for protein might have gone too far. While protein is certainly important for our health, most of us don’t need these protein-enhanced foods as a regular feature in our diet. Not to mention that this marketing may lead to a
“halo effect,” where consumers mistakenly equate high protein content with
overall nutritional value. This effect can lead to the perception of protein-rich foods being inherently nutritious – even though many may not be.

Protein is essential for
maintaining muscle mass and
immune function.

Nutrition guidelines recommend people aim to eat
around 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight. But
some evidence suggests this recommendation
may be an underestimate – and that the recommendation should be around
1.2g-1.6g per kg of body weight per day

There’s also a strong body of evidence that suggests the amount of protein we need changes depending on our health. For instance, people need to eat more protein when they’re
recovering from an illness. Research also shows that
older adults should be aiming for at least 1.2g per kg of body weight in order to combat
age-related muscle loss.

Athletes also need to eat a greater amount of protein to
support their training and recovery. Moreover, with the rising popularity of weight-loss drugs, strategies increasingly emphasise protein intake to
minimise muscle loss while losing weight.

But just because protein is good for maintaining muscle mass, that doesn’t mean more is better. In fact, it seems that even when we
consume large amounts of protein, only a some of this is actually used by the body.

Most of us probably need a little more protein than current guidelines suggest, but less than is often promoted by wellness influencers on social media (with some even suggesting we need up to
3g of protein per kg of body weight).

Ironically, the necessary amount of protein suggested by emerging evidence (
1.2g-1.6g per kg of body weight per day) is close to what the
average protein consumption already is in most western countries.

Most people can probably benefit from being more protein aware – not about how much protein they’re consuming, but about the quality and frequency of their protein choices. Ideally, we should aim to consume small amounts of protein-rich foods more often during the day.

Current evidence suggests around
20g-30g of protein (around a handful of a protein source) at each meal supports muscle maintenance alongside physical activity.

In an ideal world, this protein would come from whole foods (such as nuts, seeds, milk, eggs and legumes). But fortified protein products may have their space as a quick and easy snack – especially for those who may struggle to eat this much protein at each meal. It’s important to eat these foods in moderation, however.

Ultra-processed products

Supermarkets are full of “protein-enhanced” products. But while these products may contain additional protein, they may also contain additional sugars or carbohydrates.

For example, protein milk often contains
double the protein of regular milk. It does this by removing water or adding dried milk.

Protein bars are another example. But depending on the brand you choose, alongside their additional protein content they may also be
high in sugar.

Many protein-fortified products share another common trait: they fall into the category of
ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods are
commercially made products that include ingredients you wouldn’t typically find in your own kitchen.

Research shows regularly consuming ultra-processed foods is consistently linked with
poorer health outcomes – such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Current discussions around ultra-processed foods suggest uncertainty regarding whether it’s the processing itself, the poor nutritional quality of these foods or the combination of both of these factors that contribute to these negative health outcomes.

Another issue with protein-enhanced products is that while they do indeed contain extra protein, some products
may lack fibre, vitamins and essential minerals. A
lack of fibre in modern diets is currently one of the biggest contributors to population-wide ill-health.

All foods have their place within a balanced diet. But protein is only one component of overall nutritional health. The rise in protein-fortified foods as health foods is concerning.

Protein-enhanced products are occasional foods that might support meeting protein intake, but they should not be mistaken for universally healthy foods. For people looking to reach their protein goals, choose a variety of protein sources, consider the role of convenience foods within the context of whole diet and think about other nutrients like fibre to really maximise health.

Aisling Pigott, Lecturer, Dietetics,
Cardiff Metropolitan University

This article is republished from
The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the
original article.