Look on social media and you’ll come across dozens or more content creators talking about the benefits of including protein in your diet, and in some ways, they’re not wrong. Protein is an important macronutrient that can help you feel full longer, meaning it promotes weight management, and it’s an important building-block for many body parts, such as muscles, bones and skin.
But research shows that most Americans actually get more than enough protein in their diet. The recommended daily intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, which isn’t actually that difficult to do.
So, is a following high-protein diet actually beneficial? And who should consider following one? The popularity of the keto, paleo and carnivore diets may have you asking yourself these questions.
TODAY.com talked to experts about what constitutes a high-protein diet, risks and benefits and more.
What is a high-protein diet?
A high-protein diet is one where you’re eating more protein each day than is recommended by dietary guidelines, Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian at the Mayo Clinic, tells TODAY.com.
According to the Institute of Medicine’s dietary reference intake recommendations, healthy adults should consume 0.8 grams of protein daily per kilogram of body weight. What that mean is that, in a balanced diet, protein should account for 10-35% of all calories consumed.
For an adult who weighs 150 pounds, that’s about 54 grams of protein a day. Getting more protein than that per day would be considered a higher-protein diet, Zeratsky explain.
Some versions of the popular Atkins, paleo and keto diets, among others, can be high-protein diets. If the total amount of protein you eat ends up being more than 35% of your day’s calories (the upper limit of that normal range recommendation), then it would be considered a high-protein diet, Zeratsky says.
Who is a high-protein diet good for?
There are a number of reasons a doctor, dietitian or other medical professional might recommend a high-protein diet. One is athletic performance. If you tend to get a lot of physical activity, you may need anywhere from 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, says Zeratsky. But the high end of that range is difficult to reach for most people.
For that same 150-pound person, a very high-protein diet (2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) would have that person eating 136 grams of protein per day — or about 45 grams of protein per meal if you eat three a day. Say for breakfast, you had an egg and two egg whites (each with 7 grams of protein), a glass of milk (8 grams of protein) and some fruit (no protein), you’d still need 16 additional grams of protein at that meal, says Zeratsky.
Some people may opt for a high-protein diet for medical reasons, such as undergoing treatment for cancer or wound-healing. People with kidney problems who are on dialysis may also need to go on a high-protein diet because dialysis treatment filters protein from the body along with other waste.
And sometimes a medical provider might recommend a high-protein diet (around 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) to older individuals because it can help maintain muscle mass, which deteriorates with age, Zeratsky says.
Is a high-protein diet good for weight loss?
If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to be eating protein at every meal and as part of any snacks, too, Zeratsky explains. Compared to carbohydrates, protein takes longer to digest, so it will help keep you feeling full longer and manage hunger.
But you certainly don’t need to go on a very high-protein diet to lose weight, according to Zeratsky.
One problem with using a high-protein diet to lose weight is that if you’re increasing your protein intake on a weight-loss diet, you will likely end up limiting other foods that have health benefits (like whole grains, fruits and vegetables) in order to reduce your overall calories.
Another problem is that any diet that’s too exclusionary or restrictive can become difficult to stick with over the long term. “We see people lose weight on them, but they’re not really sustainable,” she says. The truth is that most of us don’t want to eat just one kind of food all the time.
Are there other risks associated with a high-protein diet?
Athletes may add calories from protein to increase their overall calorie intake to make up for what they burn. But if you’re not burning extra calories, you can end up gaining weight if you just start consuming more calories.
For anyone adding extra protein to their diet, pay attention to where your protein is coming from. Protein sources that are leaner (like poultry and fish) and plant-based (like legumes and nuts) are nutrient-dense. But meat and dairy, which provide a lot of protein, deliver a lot of saturated fat, too. “We worry about long-term health because there’s concern about cardiovascular disease with too much intake of saturated fat,” Zeratsky says.
If you swap protein for fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, you could miss out on a lot of healthy carbohydrates, fiber and other micronutrients, Dr. Neal D. Barnard, an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, who researches the effect of diet on diabetes, body weight and chronic pain, tells TODAY.com.
Eating too much protein can also have negatives impacts for people with kidney disease who are not yet undergoing dialysis.
What the science says about high-protein diets
Everyone needs protein in their diet. Protein is important for satiety, minimizing feelings of hunger, preserving lean body mass and helping protect against muscle loss as you age (assuming you’re eating enough calories overall), Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian, tells TODAY.com. “While many people use high-protein diets for weight loss, the results are often short-term,” she says.
Scientific evidence suggests that rather than total amount of protein in your diet, it’s the type of protein you’re consuming that really matters for long-term health. Research suggests that a lot of red meat is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and early death — but replacing these foods with protein sources like nuts, seeds, legumes and fish can reduce these risks. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also found that consuming higher amounts of animal protein compared to plant protein may be linked to increased risk of premature death.
Similarly, when it comes to weight loss, research suggests that the type of protein that’s being consumed is more important than overall quantity. Researchers at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health found that people who tend to eat leaner and plant-based protein sources (legumes, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy and poultry) have better weight-loss outcomes than those who eat more red and processed meat, chicken with skin and full-fat cheese.
What will you eat on a high-protein diet?
Foods that are high in protein include:
- Beef
- Black beans
- Cashew butter
- Chicken
- Chickpeas
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Hemp seeds
- Lentils
- Pumpkin seeds
- Peas
- Peanut butter
- Salmon
- Spirulina
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- Yogurt
High-protein meals
According to Zeratsky, a day of eating a high-protein diet (1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight) for an 150-pound adult might look like this:
Breakfast: 2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute, cooked), 2 slices toasted whole-grain bread, 1 tablespoon nut butter, 1 medium nectarine
Snack: 6 ounces yogurt (no sugar added) with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola
Lunch: Black bean burrito (a 10-inch whole-wheat tortilla filled with 1/2 cup low-sodium black beans, 1/4 avocado, 2 tablespoons diced onion, 1/4 cup chopped tomato and 1/2 cup shredded lettuce) and 15 grapes
Dinner: 4 ounces sautéed chicken breast, 2/3 cup whole-grain couscous, 1/2 cup acorn squash, 1/2 cup spinach (cooked with 1 tablespoon olive oil) and 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream with 3/4 cup blueberries
The bottom line
While protein is an essential part of any diet — many dietitians recommend consuming some protein at every meal and snack — there seem to be few benefits to a high-protein diet, unless you’re an athlete or it’s recommended for another health reason.
If you are considering a high-protein diet, consult with your doctor first and make sure you’re still leaving plenty of room for essential vitamins and nutrients, and choosing lean and plant-based protein sources that aren’t too high in saturated fat.
