“Protein has become the darling of the grocery aisle, stamped on everything from cereal to snack bars. But as BBC Science Focus’s Jessica Bradley reports, most of us already eat more protein than we need — and the surplus is more likely to widen waistlines than build muscle.
The World Health Organization recommends that healthy adults get 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Yet average intake sits around 81g daily, at least 20% above recommendations. Some groups, including malnourished patients and people over 65, do need more.
For everyone else, extra protein is simply extra calories, and what the body doesn’t use gets stored as fat. “Overeating – eating more calories than you’re burning – increases the chance of developing chronic metabolic diseases,” said Luc van Loon, professor of physiology of exercise and nutrition at Maastricht University Medical Centre.”
We’re Likely Over-Consuming Protein – And It’s Wrecking Our Waistlines
“Even athletes rarely need a top-up. They’re already active and eating plenty, so they “generally don’t need to add more,” van Loon said. Loading up can backfire. “If it’s at the cost of carbohydrates, this could be counterproductive in a period of intense training,” said Oliver Witard, reader in exercise metabolism and nutrition at King’s College London.”
Where protein comes from may matter more than how much. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, notes that “greater intake of animal protein is associated with a higher risk of death,” while plant protein is linked to lower risk — a pattern explored in a 2021 review comparing animal and plant protein. Individual plant proteins often lack an essential amino acid, but combining sources fills the gaps.”