High-protein diets have been getting a lot of attention over the last couple of years, leading to an influx of high-protein products on the market. And it’s not just high-protein breakfasts, lunches and dinners: if you can think of it, there’s probably now a protein-packed version of it. High-protein hummus with your high-protein pizza, anyone?
The craze has reached cookbooks, with recent releases including Healthy High Protein by Dr Rupy Aujla, The High-Protein Plate by Rachael DeVaux, Healthyish High Protein by Emma Petersen and The 30g Plan Cookbook by Emma Bardwell. It’s on restaurant menus, too. This year Chipotle launched a dedicated High Protein Menu in the UK, while London salad bar favourite Atis launched an ‘Essentials Edit’ of high-protein bowls. At Farmer J, you can easily build a Fieldtray containing more than 40g of protein. It seems we are at the height of the high-protein craze.
And there’s a reason behind its appeal. Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass, supporting recovery and helping you feel fuller for longer – all reasons why the high-protein diet has become synonymous with healthy eating, weight loss and fitness.
But now, a sweeping review of more than 350 studies suggests that the protein boom may be overselling what many of us actually need. The researchers suggest that eating less protein – not more – may be the key to improved metabolism, reduced inflammation and cellular damage, healthier ageing and a longer life for some of us.
What did the review find?
Published in the journal Cell Press Blue, the review examined the link between reducing protein and ageing. The researchers concluded that protein restriction may improve metabolism, limit cellular damage and help cells maintain normal function.
But, as always with nutrition research, it isn’t quite as simple as ‘eat less protein, live longer’. A lot of the evidence connecting lower protein intake with longevity actually comes from animal research – not human trials – meaning they don’t necessarily show that healthy people will live longer if they deliberately cut back.
‘It’s absolutely crystal clear that there are benefits of protein to muscle growth and exercise response of active individuals,’ says Dudley Lamming, the paper’s corresponding author, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ‘But because most people are relatively sedentary, many people are likely consuming more protein than they actually need.’
So, before you decide to start removing protein from every meal in the hope of living longer, nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert, founder of the Rhitrition Clinic and author of The Fibre Formula, says it’s best to treat this review as ‘a reminder that “more” is not automatically “better”, particularly for sedentary adults who may already be meeting their needs through a normal balanced diet.’
Who might genuinely need more protein?
‘Higher protein intakes can be particularly beneficial for people who are physically active, those doing regular resistance training, older adults at risk of age-related muscle loss, pregnant women, and people recovering from illness or injury,’ says Lambert.
During these stages of life, protein plays an important role in supporting muscle maintenance, strength and recovery. But, at the opposite end of the spectrum, if you’re sedentary and already eating a varied diet, you probably don’t need to seek out fortified foods or start adding extra protein at every opportunity.
‘More protein isn’t inherently harmful for healthy people, but consistently adding extra protein without a clear need may mean other important components of the diet, such as fibre-rich wholegrains, pulses, fruit and vegetables, are being displaced,’ Lambert adds.
Do we need 30g at every meal?
The recommendation to aim for around 20-30g of protein per meal comes from research looking at muscle protein synthesis – the process through which our bodies repair and build muscle, explains Lambert.
‘Early studies suggested that this amount of high-quality protein was sufficient to maximise the muscle-building response in many younger adults, particularly after resistance exercise. However, we now know the picture is much more nuanced than that,’ she says.
That means that 30g isn’t a magic number – and the amount of protein someone benefits from at a meal depends on a range of factors.
‘Rather than treating 30g as a magic number, I’d encourage people to view it as a useful guide for some, rather than a target everyone needs to hit,’ says Lambert.
‘For most people, meeting their overall daily protein requirements and spreading protein intake evenly across the day is likely to be far more important than worrying about achieving exactly 30g at every meal.’
So what does this mean for us?
Protein still matters – it’s absolutely essential for maintaining muscle, supporting recovery and healthy ageing – but how much you need really does depend on your age, body size, activity level and general health.
Making sure you’re getting plenty of fibre (which many of us don’t get enough of), as well as carbs and healthy fats, is also key.
‘The current protein boom has arguably encouraged some people to chase very high intakes without a clear nutritional need,’ Lambert says. ‘The more useful message is to personalise intake rather than universally push it higher.’
