The number of added protein items sold in grocery stores has skyrocketed in recent years. Protein supplements used to come primarily in pill or powder and sold in pharmacies and health food stores. Now an endless variety of added protein in cereals and snacks are offered everywhere. The promise is to attain stronger muscles and healthier bodies just by ingesting more protein. Is there science behind this peddling or is it mainly marketing wizardry?
Enough Already
The
government's recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the average American adult
is 50 to 60 grams of protein a day. Registered dietitian Angela Pipitone with
Johns Hopkins McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine asserts: "The
typical American diet is a lot higher in protein than a lot of us think. We get
bits of protein here and there and that really adds up throughout the day. You
can get enough protein and meet the RDA before you even get to dinner.”
Just
counting breakfast and lunch gives a good sampling: “If you ate two eggs topped
with a little bit of cheese and an orange on the side, you already have 22
grams of protein. Each egg gives you 7 grams, the cheese gives you about 6
grams and the orange — about 2 grams. Add a lunch of chicken, rice and
broccoli, and you are already over the recommended 50 grams.”
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/12/03/669808699/how-much-protein-do-you-really-need
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/12/03/669808699/how-much-protein-do-you-really-need
Marion
Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York
University, said, "If you eat a lot of extra protein, you're either
breaking it down for energy or you're turning it into sugar and into fat — one
or the other."
Her general
advice is for people to stop obsessing over protein. "It is most
definitely not a nutrient of concern. Most people get twice as much as they
need without thinking about it," she said. "My nutrition pet peeve is
calling foods 'protein,' as in 'Would you like some protein with that salad?'
If the salad has beans or grains or cheese, it already has protein."
Munching
on the Snickers Protein Bar
“There are fewer calories, less sugar and way more protein in a Snickers
Protein bar compared to the original candy bar. While the added protein doesn't
come as a surprise—it is a protein bar after all—it was a little shocking to see
how little sugar they've added to the Snickers Protein bars. There is
noncaloric sweetener added, in the form of sugar alcohol (maltitol), which
helps sweeten the protein bars without adding sugar. (FYI: Too many sugar
alcohols can cause gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea.) The Mars,
Milky Way and Bounty versions of the candy bars and protein bars break down
similarly.
“In terms of calories and protein, the Snickers Protein bar is similar
to many other protein bars on the market. We compared it to the Quest Bar here,
which contains fewer ingredients and slightly less sugar (they also use sugar
alcohol and stevia to sweeten their bars). But for being made by a candy
company, the Snickers Protein bar is not unreasonably different from a leading protein
bar on the market.”
The Risks of Protein Overload
Researchers
conducted an analysis of 32 studies of healthy adults who over-consumed protein,
both in natural and supplement form:
“Despite the fact that short-term high protein
diet could be necessary in several pathological conditions (malnutrition,
sarcopenia, etc.), it is evident that too much of a good thing in diet could be
useless or even harmful for healthy individuals. Many adults or even
adolescents (especially athletes or body builders) self-prescribe protein
supplements and overlook the risks of using them, mainly due to misguided
beliefs in their performance-enhancing abilities. Individuals who follow these
diets are therefore at risk. Extra protein is not used efficiently by the body
and may impose a metabolic burden on the bones, kidneys, and liver. Moreover,
high-protein/high-meat diets may also be associated with increased risk for
coronary heart disease due to intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol or even
cancer. Guidelines for diet should adhere closely to what has been clinically
proved, and by this standard there is currently no basis to recommend high
protein/high meat intake above the recommended dietary allowance for healthy
adults.”
Protein and Weight-Training
It used to
be widely believed by fitness buffs that consuming extra protein immediately
after a workout will maximize muscle growth. This has long since proven to be
false:
“The
so-called ‘anabolic window’ is a period of time after your training when your
body is most primed to accept nutrients—specifically carbs and protein—and
deliver them to your muscles to help with repair and recovery. While it was
once thought this window was only open for 30-60 minutes post-workout, we now
know that it exists for a much longer period of time. In fact, it extends
several hours after you finish your training session.
“When it
comes to packing on muscle mass, it appears protein timing isn't as important
as once thought. What seems to be more crucial is the amount of protein you're
consuming throughout the day. Regular doses of around 30 grams of protein are
usually sufficient to support the growth and recovery of your muscles. Although
post-workout nutrition is important—it's a great time to maximize muscle growth
when protein synthesis is at its highest—your focus should be on the bigger
daily picture, not just 30 minutes post-workout.”
How to Choose Healthier Protein-Added
Foods
Compare
it to the "regular" version. Does the protein-enhanced variety
have more calories (or sugar and sodium-more on those below) than the regular
item you'd normally pick? If so, just go for the classic.
Avoid heavily processed foods. If you're on the hunt for a high-protein snack, protein-enhanced packaged pudding powder is never going to be as healthy for you as a bowl of cottage cheese with berries. Don't let good nutrition judgment fly out the window because of this trend.
Limit sugar. Adding protein sometimes means the sugar content needs to increase to make the food taste better. Not a great trade-off, is it? As a general rule, make sure the sugar content in your protein-added bar or cereal is less than 5g per serving.
Limit sodium. With savory snack options or even protein-enhanced bread, sodium can be off the charts. Look for products that have less than 200mg of sodium per serving.
Look for fiber. Choose foods that have 5g or more of fiber from whole grains.
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Photo: http://www.eatingwell.com/article/290480/how-does-the-snickers-protein-bar-stack-up/
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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