The new trend is a ‘complete myth’ according to the expert and there’s a ‘massive gap between supply and demand and that we need to change our diets’
Reems of health influencers and gym-goers have centred the need for protein for some time, but one doctor wants to debunk this trend as a harmful “myth.”
Author and founder of Zoe Health, Professor Tim Spector wants people to leave the protein craze behind in 2024 and labels it simply a “huge” marketing effort, saying the emphasis on packing more protein into our diet is wrong.
He said on the Zoe Podcast: “Currently, there’s huge marketing saying that we’re deficient in protein and that we can’t be healthy without extra protein snack bars, protein added to nearly all kinds of ultra-processed foods and that we’re in a protein crisis. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
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He added that “this is all driven by the big food companies, by people making money out of this” and its “advice that’s totally been driven by the industry.”
Spector added that people are being wrongly encouraged to streamline at least 50g of the food type into their diet, with most people eating twice the recommended amount. He added: “The average American is being told they need from all our scientific studies, about 50 grams a day.
“If they weigh about 130 pounds, it’s about 60 kilos and they’re eating double that. So we’re similar in the U.K. eating about double the recommended levels of protein already. So it’s a complete myth that there’s a massive gap between supply and demand and that we need to change our diets.”
Instead, Spector said we should focus on fibre, as this is where many of us have a gaping hole in our diet. He said: “In fact, we’re in a fibre deficiency where 95% of us aren’t getting enough fibre. And the average American is only eating enough fibre that we recommend for a four-year-old.
“So I think there are some caveats and people should be aware of where there might be some deficiencies, but just putting that context that nine out of 10 people don’t have to worry at all.
The only people this will apply to are bodybuilders and frail elderly people or if “you’re someone who’s perhaps a vegan and you’re trying to lose weight and you’re really reducing your calories.”
He said: “I think the key message here is protein is not our problem, fibre is our problem, and you can get all the good proteins you need from plants. If you’re mindful about how you’re eating and you have a diversity of plants, they will give you the right balance.
“So people who are, say, cutting back on their meat and want to maintain their protein really increased the amount of beans and legumes, which contain fantastic amounts of protein.”
In fact, many vegetables, legumes and normal foods you’ll find in your kitchen cupboard are full of protein and you do not have to mainline protein shakes and lean meats to get your daily does.
Spector said: “Things like pasta, whole grains, bulgur wheats, really high protein levels in many foods. So if you’re generally having plenty of food, it’s really hard to avoid protein. And it’s also very hard to get your protein levels really high.
Professor Sarah Berry added: “I don’t think for the majority of us, we need to ever consider having protein shakes, protein powders, protein bars.”
Protein is also more likely to fall into one of Spector’s biggest no-no categories – ultra-processed foods. He said: “Most things in a packet that have a health claim on it are ultra-processed foods. So that one of the biggest warnings is if it says it’s got added vitamins and it’s low in fat, high in protein, chances are that that’s going to be an ultra-processed food.”