The protein craze is upon us, with grocery store and well being retailer cabinets bursting with shakes and bars. It's estimated that one in ten folks within the UK eat a protein bar as soon as per week – whereas an identical quantity frequently devour protein powder.
And price doesn't appear to be a barrier. Simply take a look at the protein shakes offered at espresso and juice bar chain Joe and Juice. Final 12 months it made a file £45 million revenue from its protein shake launch.
For instance, its newest Beets & Berries protein shake (which accommodates strawberries, beetroot powder, banana, date puree, collagen, whey protein and 'Sproud M*lk' (a milk different produced from pea protein and rapeseed and oat oils) prices £9.
Protein is necessary for power, development, tissue restore and upkeep of our our bodies, particularly bones and muscle mass.
Joe and the Juice made file income of £45million final 12 months, helped by the launch of its protein shakes.
It helps the operate of organs such because the mind, coronary heart and liver. It additionally performs an important function in sustaining points of regular physique operate: for instance, our antibodies, that are a vital a part of the immune system, and haemoglobin, which strikes blood across the physique, are each proteins. Too little protein can have an effect on your immunity and the way shortly or how nicely wounds heal.
So ought to all of us embrace the protein shake and bar development to spice up our consumption?
Should you take an excessive amount of of it, its dangers (which embrace kidney stones and tooth decay) might outweigh its advantages.
In response to the federal government's Nationwide Weight loss plan and Vitamin Survey, the typical grownup is already consuming greater than the really useful stage of protein (45g a day for ladies, 55g for males) – ladies are consuming 67g a day and males 85g.
And the explanation for this isn’t exhausting to know.
For instance, for a lady, to get the really useful quantity of protein every day she may need one egg for breakfast (6 grams), 6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt for lunch (18 grams), a handful of nuts for a snack (4 grams), and a couple of ounces of cooked hen (14 grams) and low with milk (3 grams) for dinner.
Athletes and common gym-goers might have barely larger necessities, as your physique wants protein to restore and develop muscle mass damaged down throughout train.
Dr Nicholas Burger, senior lecturer in sport and train science at Teesside College, says: 'For endurance coaching and preserving muscle mass that is round 1.2g to 2g further per kilogram of physique weight per day – and in periods of energy constructing that is round 1.6g to 2.8g further per kilogram of physique weight per day.' So in the event you weigh 60kg (9 stone 4lbs) you'll want round 100g extra protein to construct energy.
And it's not simply common train that will increase your protein requirement, however as you age you want extra protein to keep up muscle energy.
In response to a examine performed by the College of Sheffield in 2020, older folks want about 1.2 grams to 1.5 grams of additional protein per kilogram of physique weight per day. They need to devour 25-30 grams of protein in every of their three day by day meals.
Athletes and common gym-goers might have barely larger wants, as your physique wants protein to restore and develop muscle damaged down throughout train
That is completed to forestall muscle loss, which helps forestall falls and basic weak point, in addition to forestall sure sicknesses equivalent to stress ulcers, and pace up restoration after surgical procedure – too little protein can have an effect on wound therapeutic and your potential to combat an infection.
Consultants say one of the best ways to get protein is from entire meals sources, as a result of many protein-rich meals are additionally necessary sources of different vitamins.
'It's usually finest to get your protein from pure sources equivalent to beans, pulses, soya, nuts, fish, eggs and meat,' says Lucy Jones, dietitian and chief scientific officer at NHS weight administration supplier Oviva.
'These meals present protein and different important vitamins, together with fibre, nutritional vitamins, minerals and helpful fat.
'Selecting entire meals for protein ensures a extra balanced consumption of all vitamins, which is commonly missed when utilizing protein dietary supplements.'
Nonetheless, one other concern relating to protein bars and shakes pertains to added components, equivalent to sweeteners and sugars.
“Protein bars and drinks declare to offer a handy method to enhance or keep protein consumption, help in muscle restoration, help weight reduction or muscle achieve — and even declare to be full meal replacements,” says Dr. Berger.
'However this isn't all the time true and so they typically comprise very low-quality protein [i.e. a type that doesn’t provide all nine essential amino acids needed for muscle production or is in a form that can’t easily be used by our cells] – A number of different poor high quality components have been additionally added.'
Widespread components of concern embrace synthetic sweeteners equivalent to sorbitol and mannitol, which might trigger bloating and digestive discomfort, he stated.
He provides, 'The frequent thickener carrageenan has been linked to bloating, whereas the stabilizers guar gum and xanthan gum might trigger digestive discomfort in delicate people.'
'Such components additionally make these choices ultra-processed meals (UPFs) – meals which were linked to weight achieve and elevated danger of ailments equivalent to kind 2 diabetes.
'This may increasingly outweigh any well being advantages.'
'For endurance coaching and preserving muscle mass that is an additional 1.2g to 2g per kilogram of physique weight per day – and an additional 1.6g to 2.8g per kilogram of physique weight per day in periods of energy constructing,' explains Dr Nicholas Burger, senior lecturer in sport and train science at Teesside College.
After which there's the sugar. 'Many protein bars have added sugar to boost the style,' says Raggi Munjal, a dentist based mostly in South Yorkshire.
'So in the event you eat these chocolate bars frequently – for instance, one a day – they will trigger tooth decay, as do different chocolate bars, as a result of the sugar in them assaults the enamel.'
They’re typically excessive in energy, making them primarily a snack slightly than a correct meal, which might contribute to unhealthy weight achieve. (For instance, a Joe & Juice Beets & Berries protein shake accommodates 371 energy.)
'Sarcastically, it's not essential to be excessive in protein – even in the event you're a sporting individual,' says John Dearing, an orthopaedic surgeon at Carrick Glen Hospital in Ayr who specialises in sports activities accidents.
'The surplus protein will probably be eliminated with out being damaged down or utilized by our cells.'
Nonetheless, consuming an excessive amount of protein can disrupt this course of. Bhaskar Somani, professor of urology at College Hospital Southampton, explains that this could impede kidney operate and result in the formation of kidney stones: pebble-like fragments of minerals. This occurs when the physique has an excessive amount of waste and too little fluid to flush it out, which might then mix with calcium within the urine to kind stones.
“The stones can block the ureter (the tube that leads from the kidney to the bladder), inflicting an infection and, if left untreated or unrecognised, can result in lowered kidney operate and even kidney failure,” says Prof Somani.
'I’ve had many younger sufferers come to me with kidney stones who’ve by no means had them earlier than. And once I ask about their life-style, I discover out they’re taking protein shakes. I’ve seen a affected person develop stones in as little as six weeks after taking protein shakes!'
In the meantime, earlier this 12 months, researchers on the College of Pittsburgh discovered that as little as one-fifth of energy from protein can activate a sort of white blood cell, which in flip deposits plaque within the arteries — a substance that damages vessels, and impedes blood move.
Poor blood move will increase the danger of stroke and coronary heart assault.
So does anybody really want protein shakes?
Dr Tom Crisp, marketing consultant in sports activities and train drugs at Queen Mary College of London, is evident on this level. 'The hype round protein shakes and bars is an enormous rip-off.
'Our day by day requirement is about one 8-ounce steak. Something greater than that’s simply an costly method to make you pee extra typically.'
It’s because extra protein is eradicated from the physique by means of urine, making us must go to the bathroom extra typically.
'Should you're aggressive weight lifting, chances are you’ll want a bit of extra – however not rather more,' he says. 'That is the most important con on this planet of protein dietary supplements.'
Dietitian Helen Bond, a spokeswoman for the British Dietetic Affiliation, agrees.
'Most individuals have sufficient protein of their diets – it's a fantasy that we want further. It's only a hoax. But we're being offered the concept we should always pay a premium for it.'
Joe and Juice didn’t reply to requests for remark.
