Is Consuming 16% Protein Optimal for a Diet?
A certain podcast clip went viral this week of a leading geneticist claiming that we should all be aiming to consume 16% of our Calories from protein and that eating above this ’sweet-spot’ would have adverse effects.
In this week’s episode, I give my take on the statement by covering what the science tells us and give my perspective on what amount of protein we should be consuming to improve or maintain our health.
TIMEPOINTS
01:19 – Why recommendations based on %ages are just plain wrong!
11:00 – What the research tells us the optimal protein intake for health is
17:40 – Are high protein intakes safe for your kidneys?
21:40 – Why experts need to stay in their lane
25:00 – How the fitness industry needs to improve by stopping the attacks on peoples’ appearance
REFERENCES
Phillips et al., (2016) Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health
Krieger et al., (2006) Effects of variation in protein and carbohydrate intake on body mass and composition during energy restriction: a meta-regression 1
Devries et al., (2018) Changes in Kidney Function Do Not Differ between Healthy Adults Consuming Higher- Compared with Lower- or Normal-Protein Diets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Antonio et al. (2014) The effects of consuming a high protein diet (4.4 g/kg/d) on body composition in resistance-trained individuals