In the ever-changing health and wellness industry, there’s one dietary craze that’s captured and held TikTok’s attention: protein.
Whether it’s sharing photos of protein-rich meals or offering tutorials on how to increase your protein intake, the message is clear: maximizing protein intake is essential for weight management and health.
Supermarkets feed this obsession, with shelves filled with protein-rich bars, shakes and supplements, as well as protein-fortified versions of nearly every food we eat.
But is all this extra protein really as beneficial as people say? And how much protein do we really need?
Different types of protein
Protein is an essential macronutrient that our bodies need to function properly. It’s made up of building blocks called amino acids. Twenty amino acids are linked in different combinations to form proteins, which can be divided into:
Essential amino acids – amino acids that the body cannot make and need to be obtained through diet
Non-essential amino acids – amino acids that our bodies can make.
When we think of protein, the first things that come to mind are animal foods like meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy.
However, the essential amino acids we need to get from our diet can also be found in many plant foods, including beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and soy products like tofu.
Why We Need Protein？
Proteins are often called the workhorses of life. They are involved in almost every process that keeps our bodies functioning and play important roles in:
Building and repairing tissues. From our muscles and bones to our skin and nails, proteins are responsible for their growth, renewal, and repair
Fighting infections. Our immune system relies on antibodies, a type of protein, to fight bacteria and viruses
Transporting nutrients and substances like blood sugar through our bodies and carrying oxygen from our lungs to our cells
Regulating processes. Most hormones that control key functions, such as metabolism, are proteins
Managing activities. Protein catalysts in the form of enzymes manage important chemical reactions that drive important activities in our bodies, including the ability to digest food
Providing energy. Protein is not a primary source of energy, but it can be used as an energy source when other sources are insufficient.
Protein also plays an important role in weight management:
Increases satiety, making us feel fuller for longer
Reduces appetite by suppressing ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite
Builds and maintains muscle mass. Muscle determines our metabolic rate and how quickly we burn calories
Boosts metabolism. Protein-rich foods also have a higher thermic effect (a measure of the energy required for digestion), meaning they help us burn more calories throughout the day.
So the influencer was half right: protein is a necessity. But that doesn’t mean more is better.
How much protein do we actually need?
Our daily protein needs depend on our weight, gender and age.
Protein should make up around 15-25% of our total daily energy intake, with national guidelines recommending
Women consume 0.75g of protein per kg of body weight (1.0g per kg of body weight when pregnant or breastfeeding)
Men consume 0.84g of protein per kg of body weight.
For example, a 72kg woman should consume 54g of protein per day, while a 87kg man should consume 73g.
Our recommended protein intake changes as we age, with adults over 70 needing 25% more protein than younger people – or about 67g per day for women and 91g per day for men.
This is because, as we age, our bodies no longer work as efficiently as they once did. Around age 40, we begin to develop a condition called sarcopenia, where muscle mass naturally decreases and body fat begins to increase.
Because muscle mass helps determine our metabolic rate, when our muscle mass decreases, our bodies begin to burn fewer calories at rest.
Given protein’s role in muscle growth and preservation, it becomes even more important as we age.
What does this look like in real life?
Add a protein source to every meal and you can easily meet your daily protein needs. For the example below, men consume about 125 grams per day and women consume about 100 grams per day. Broken down to each meal, it might look like this:
Breakfast: Chickpea scrambled eggs = 1.5 fist-sized servings of protein
Morning tea: Greek yogurt and a handful of nuts
Lunch: Beef stir-fry = 1 fist-sized serving of protein
Afternoon tea: Hummus, vegetable sticks and a boiled egg
Dinner: Lentil and beef Bolognese with salad = half a fist-sized serving of protein.
What happens when we eat too much protein?
The health industry might have you think you’re not eating enough protein. But for most of us, we’re focusing on a problem that doesn’t exist. In fact, you’re eating too much protein when you eat more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Too much protein in your diet can lead to malnutrition, which can cause poor immune function, fatigue and reduced bone density because you may be missing out on other nutrients.
Eating large amounts of meat, especially processed meat, may also increase your risk of cancer and heart disease, and can lead to an energy surplus that can cause weight gain.
Balance is key
Aim for a balanced diet that covers all the macronutrients we need: whole-grain carbs, healthy fats, and protein.
As a guide, aim to fill a quarter of your plate with lean protein (lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, beans, or legumes), a quarter with whole-grain carbs, and the rest with vegetables and fruits.
Avoid unnecessary, protein-rich foods and supplements—your health, weight, and wallet will thank you.
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