The protein has undergone a kind of makeover. The macronutrient is no longer confined to the pages of science textbooks and has recently appeared on our flashy screens and social media channels in a new avatar as #highprotein.
A high protein diet is reportedly one of the biggest food trends to emerge online in recent years. An article on The Food Institute’s website, citing a Brandwatch study, explained that “online search interest in the term ‘high protein’ reached a five-year high in early 2023 and has remained high since then. Additionally, a Forbes article last month reported that “TikTok data shows #highprotein garnered a whopping 2 billion views in the US over the past 12 months.
Nathalie Jabrayan, head of nutrition at Enhance Fitness, says the current high-protein trend emerged on social media during the Covid-19 pandemic. “We were all stuck at home with not much to do, and a lot of people started following diet and exercise programs online,” she explains. “People started talking about how gaining muscle mass is the fountain of youth and how we need to increase our protein intake for that, which is true, but it has to be done within a certain logical limit” . He also explains that people often forget that one gram of protein and carbohydrates provides 4 calories. “And if you consume more food than your body burns, it will be stored as fat,” he adds.
While high-protein, low/no-carb diets like the Keto diet and the Atkins diet have been around for a while, nutrition and mindset coach Charlie Ruby Baxter notes that the current trend is very different, in a good way. “Now, it’s about eating a high-protein diet along with healthy fats and carbohydrates as part of a balanced diet, rather than cutting them out and going on an unhealthy, restrictive diet,” she says. It’s a positive development, he adds, as it has helped correct the popular misconception that a high-protein diet is ideal only for “gym bunnies or bodybuilders looking to build muscle.”
“Our bodies are made of protein, our bones, skin and hair are made of protein, and it helps build muscle and repair tissue, so eating a high-protein diet is essential to your health,” she explains. “It also makes us feel fuller for longer—we’re likely to snack less between meals, stick to diets longer, and consume fewer calories throughout the week, which also leads to weight loss.”
Baxter, who runs a private training business and has a partnership with sports nutrition brand My Protein, also posts about high-protein meals on social media. The two things people question or struggle with are how to get protein into their meals and how to get the right amount, as it’s easy to overeat carbs like rice, pasta and bread. So I like to post quick and easy high-protein recipes, like a 10-minute high-protein dinner, to help people eat balanced meals, she says, adding that she gets tons of requests for these recipes
Separating fact from fiction
There is no disputing the fact that proteins are very important to us, they are called the “building blocks of our body” for a reason. But as the old saying goes, too much of anything is good, and experts are concerned that the half-truths paraded as expert-approved facts on social media platforms may have thrown nuance out the window.
With popular diets often casting carbohydrates and fats as the bad guys, people are obsessing over protein, seeing it as the elusive secret to weight loss. But medical experts have warned against consuming too much protein through foods high in saturated fat, as it can increase the risk of heart disease. They also discussed the ramifications for people with underlying medical conditions, such as kidney disease, who consume more protein than recommended, and stressed the importance of first checking if one is even protein deficient to begin with.
Thirty-five-year-old Sarah* loves her regular jogs around the neighborhood park, eats a healthy diet, and prefers to take a “moderate” approach to health and fitness. However, about two years ago, unusually, she decided to embark on a high-protein diet shortly after giving birth to her son. She wanted to lose those extra stubborn postpartum pounds, she remembers. Her young son was sleeping terribly and it didn’t help that Sarah was trying to stay awake by scrolling through social media. Maybe it’s the algorithm, but to me, every lean and toned person on Instagram seemed to talk only about protein and weight loss.
He decided to cut back on carbs gradually and later, drastically, and added protein shakes to his diet. It had gotten to a point where I was only drinking protein shakes for breakfast and dinner and very little food. She lost weight, but also began suffering from debilitating headaches and constipation. I mentioned this to my gynecologist during a follow-up appointment and she was alarmed by my diet. He advised me to have a well-balanced meal full of complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Jabrayan, who has 13,700 followers on Instagram, calls fitness the topic of the century. So it’s very common for companies to promote high-protein products through paid fitness and nutrition influencers, as well as medical and fitness centers, he continues, adding that he would promote products like protein shakes only in certain cases and if there were any. are specific medical needs.
Driven by social media posts, people like Sarah end up mistakenly believing they need to replace their meals with protein shakes. One scoop of protein powder when mixed with water will give you 120 calories, making it a very low-calorie meal, but they don’t understand that it lacks vitamins, minerals, fiber and real ingredients, Jabrayan points out.
It is even more worrying when the trend seeps through gullible teenagers, who adopt these trends with little thought or research. Cynthia Bou Khalil, dietitian at Medcare Dr Saeed Al Shaikh Gastro & Obesity Centre, explains that fitness influencers promote the use of protein powders such as creatine, which the younger generation probably doesn’t require. Teens will follow anyone with a great physique, and they believe in a one-size-fits-all strategy in nutrition, he says.
A billion dollar market
Several studies have shown that the global market for protein supplements is worth billions of dollars and is estimated to grow further. And this is also evident on the ground, that the range of protein powders alone is mind-boggling.
Experts are frequently asked about protein supplements, especially popular ones like protein powders, both online and offline, and they always stress the timeless wisdom of reading the ingredients list carefully before buying one. product Most protein powder brands advertised on social media may contain extra sugar, calories or potentially toxic substances, Khalil notes, adding that some protein bars may also have ultra-processed components, artificial sweeteners and added sugars.
Jabrayan believes that people should try to meet their recommended protein intake through regular daily meals before considering using supplements like protein shakes. And if you do have a protein shake, make sure it has as many natural ingredients as possible, is NSF certified or from a credible company, and only use it when necessary, she advises.
A lot of it comes down to convenience, as everyone is busy, Baxter explains. If there’s no time to make lunch, a protein shake is absolutely a great thing to eat instead of skipping a meal, starving yourself, and then overeating. She also stresses the importance of reading labels before buying any product that claims to be high in protein. For a snack to be high in protein, it needs to have more than 12 grams, between 15 and 20 grams would be a high protein snack. If you get 400 calories from a snack with 10 grams of protein, you’re not getting much protein.
*Name reserved on request
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