It might be the algorithms I’m getting (I follow a lot of cooking and some exercise channels) but I’ve never seen a similar obsession about getting enough fiber (something the average person actually undereats.) Is it just less sexy than meat? How important is it nutritionally compared to other things if you’re not an athlete or a vegan or something? Why is a meal that’s “high in protein” often positioned as good and why do you need to “boost” your meals?
Source: https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/diet-nutrition/too-much-protein-health-risks
In: Biology
All I can say is that when almost accidentally I cut down on carbs and started eating more protein by giving up sweets and candy, my BMI dropped and my muscles showed up like never before. Note that I do a lot of physical labor; not sure it would have happened without it
Protein provides an immediate and noticeable improvement (often temporary.) Whereas fiber, provides an immediate and noticeable unimprovement(?) Also temporary, that gets better.
Protein deficiency causes symptoms pretty fast, and has bigger consequences very soon, than eating few fibers. People who cut down too harshly on all nutrients including (accidentally) protein when they try to maintain a caloric deficit, will feel unwell and be discouraged pretty soon too.
High protein can be unhealthy for many reasons (gout, increased risk of cancer, etc.). It’s not a cure all fix all.
BUT:
– many people overeat carbs and fats, not protein. Just think of cake, cookies, chips, etc.
So it makes sense to cook “high protein” versions of the unhealthy dishes.
– many people exercise too little and have too little muscle mass. Many people also just want more muscles and exercise, possibly while losing weight. So it makes sense to increase the protein intake for all these people.
– just trying to increase your protein intake can naturally help you avoid the most unhealthy sugary foods
– fiber is generally speaking also something most people don’t eat enough of, you are 100% right on that.
American here.
The American diet is carb heavy.
No, your average American is not consuming the adequate daily amount of protein and they wouldn’t know the correct amount. Their macronutrient ratios (proteins, fats, carbs) are imbalanced in the wrong direction.
Sure, Americans may like their steaks or hamburgers or bacon or chicken wings, but they aren’t consuming that protein consistently. It’s not like they’re eating steak or hamburgers every day. Hamburgers are also consumed alongside high carb intake, and bacon isn’t a scalable protein source because of the fats.
Repeating what others have said – the only regular people who generally have a solid understanding of dietary and nutritional requirements are highly active, often people who exercise a lot : I’m one of them. Most people aren’t active enough or exercise enough
Protein’s amino acids are critically responsible for body maintenance, repair, and muscle growth. Those amino acids are only found in protein. Muscle growth occurs from high protein intake beyond your RDA. That leaves repair and maintenance. If somebody isn’t eating their RDA, the body sortof cannibalizes itself by taking from existing muscles and body sources, resulting in muscle loss among other longer term health consequences.
Lastly, eating veggies/fruits won’t provide your body with the amino acids that protein provides. You’d need to be eating high volumes of legumes to match animal protein sources, which is hard to do, and your average person doesn’t know how to do that or what the right amount would be. Vegetarians/vegans can often suffer from significant nutrient deficiencies.
There are actually two different facets to this question.
The first is that the fixation on protein is mostly based on gymbro culture – people lifting weights and bulking, therefore requiring “more” protein while keeping carbs and fats low. You can absolutely make gains without consuming excess protein. However, it’s worth noting that the protein required to maintain mass goes up as mass goes up, which contributes to the constant need for protein. The flip side is that many people don’t actually need so much as to consume protein shakes and bars, and the average person certainly is consuming enough protein in a regular diet, with only vegans being specifically identified as at risk due to fewer protein sources and lower absorption rates for plant proteins.
The second issue touched on is that the Western diet is very imbalanced, being more carb-heavy. So yes, people are getting enough protein, but they’re also consuming carbs on the side that is less satiating, leading to more frequent hunger and more frequent eating. The burger patty alone is probably enough protein and carbs, but then you have the bun and condiments, and then you have the fries and soda on top of that.
The marketing of “high in protein” is really meant to appeal to a specific kind of person who is consuming the same amount of food as an average person but needs a different balance of macros (more protein, less carb/fat), but like with “low fat” products, the general market kind of ignores that and follows the “protein is good, more protein is more good” mindset.
While protein marketing is strong due to fitness trends and muscle repair benefits, fiber is equally crucial for digestion and long-term health.
There are good reasons to eat more protein. it helps build muscle mass or to maintain a larger muscle mass. It’s more satisfying that processed carbs, and a few other fairly specific reasons. Many people focusing on eating more protein are doing it for one of these reasons. Many are just focusing on it in a more aspirational way, and may actually just be justifying disordered eating.
Dieting culture in the US (as in many other places) is insidious. The average diet in this country is crap, so you have to tailor your diet in many ways to actually maintain a healthy weight. Eating more protein is easy, cheap advice in the US, and is easily justified if you are working out. Most people don’t actually need more.protein, they don’t need to maximize their gains, they don’t need to carefully track their macros. They’d be better served by the simple (but, in practice, very hard to follow) advice of eating less and moving more, and focusing on eating more “whole” foods. But ordering the lettuce wrap at the drivethough is so much easier than making a meal at home with fresh veggies.
Because social media has a big fitness push and companies are catching on and pushing protein products everywhere. The fact of the matter is that you don’t need as much protein as the often touted 1g/lb of body weight. It’s very unpleasant to eat that much protein everyday leaving little room for fats and carbs. Metaanalyses of studies have shown that for building muscle, you don’t benefit from more than 1.6g/kg or 0.7g/lb. A person not even interested in building muscle could easily just stick to the RDA of 0.8g/kg and be fine
Americans have an over abundance of carbs and sugars in their more affordable food options. There is very little protein in a Big Mac compared to the carbs and sugars. High fructose trash is in everything. It’s even labeled as a “natural flavoring” because of corn lobbying.
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