Given a choice to pick up a cereal or a snack from a supermarket shelf, you won’t be able to stop yourself from choosing the high-protein label over a regular one.
This is our latest obsession with food; the higher the protein count, the more convinced we are that we have made the right choice. Is a high-protein diet, or anything labelled high in protein, a quick fix for our nutritional discrepancies?
We are led to believe by wellness and fitness culture that increasing protein intake will wipe away all the eating sins we have committed in our food habits over the past years.
Before we become too overwhelmed with protein, we need to revisit the prime foundation of food: that protein is a macronutrient like the other two macronutrients — carbohydrates and fats — and we need protein in ‘adequate’ amounts based on our bodily assessments, age, nutritional status, and working environment, rather than ‘high’ amounts.
We cannot swap or overlap carbs and healthy fats with a protein fix.
Have we forgotten that we need our fruits and veggies, lentils, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds to meet our dietary fibre component and to keep blood pressure, cholesterol, and other inflammatory conditions under control?
How can we not think that high protein is not for everyone? Optimal nutrition exists, and protein is one component of basal nutrition. The protein requirement for athletes and high-intensity gym trainers can't be equated to sedentary workers. Likewise, pregnancy and lactation, or people with some chronic disease, demand different protein intake compared to other individuals.
Moreover, we overlook that food labels show that products marketed as high protein also contain added sugar, salt, additives, stabilisers, sweeteners, or saturated fats. No one would love to trade this unnecessary addition for some protein. Isn’t it? But we are falling for this protein halo since we are deluded into thinking that we have failed in our food habits if it isn’t high protein.
The question arises as to whether this protein boom is encouraging people to eat more food rather than meeting nutritional standards. If a recipe on social media claims to be high in protein, be it a dessert, we are whimsical enough to bring it onto our plate. So, has high protein become a powerful selling point, whether in packaged food, a trend, or a meal?
Nevertheless, proteins are a fundamental part of cells and tissues and help in repair, growth, and renewal. They provide adequate amino acids to maintain vital organs’ function and act as transporters at the molecular level. No wonder protein adds satiety to our diet, but at the same time we need to understand that overdoing protein won't bring any outstanding performance to our health.
If we look at the research study published on PubMed Central, it states that excessive protein consumption can inflict kidney damage by increasing the weight and volume of the kidneys, or sabotage kidney function by increasing the renal overload. Moreover, it increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes, and bone damage in the long run.
The inference is to make informed choices around protein or nutrition. A high-protein yoghurt may contain thickening agents and improved texture over a regular one that is creamier and high in calcium.
Likewise, a protein snack bar may contain artificial sweeteners to mask the amino acid content and improve palatability over a regular one that is more nutritionally dense.
We can't fantasise about one component and cast out the others. The human body functions in a deeply intertwined manner with all the macro- and micronutrients put together, and each component must get a fair share on our plate.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
