BEST RESULTS. PROTEIN IS THE ONE PART OF YOUR MEAL THAT WILL GO UP UNTIL YOUR BRAIN THAT YOU’RE FULL. MARK O’MARA IS A SENIOR CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL AND SAYS PROTEIN IS THE LATEST HEALTH OBSESSION. ANOTHER THING IS BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL. IT BASICALLY KIND OF BLOCKS THE SUGARS AND SLOWS THEM DOWN SO THAT THEY ENTER MUCH MORE SLOWLY INTO YOUR BLOODSTREAM TO HAVE GOOD ENERGY, GOOD BRAIN FUNCTION, GOOD MOODS, AND THE OTHER PIECES MUSCLE. SO WHEN YOU EAT PROTEIN, IT COULD HELP BUILD MUSCLE. PUTTING ON MUSCLE AS WE AGE IS A MAJOR TARGET FOR MANY. JOINING IN THE TREND. USUALLY AROUND 40 OR SOON AFTER. THAT IS USUALLY WHEN WE START TO LOSE MUSCLE MASS, MARK SAYS THE COMBINATION OF PROTEIN AND STRENGTH TRAINING IS HOW YOU COMBAT THAT ISSUE. IT HELPS US TO PREVENT FALLS AND FRAILTY. IT CAN REALLY HELP US TO PREVENT A LOT OF THESE CHRONIC DISEASES LIKE DIABETES, AND CAN MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER AND STRONGER AND LOOK BETTER OVERALL. MANY OF THE FOODS YOU MAY ALREADY EAT CAN PACK A PROTEIN PUNCH, DEPENDING ON YOUR CHOICES. ONE LARGE EGG IS ABOUT SEVEN GRAMS OF PROTEIN, AND FOR A PALM SIZED PORTION OF A CHICKEN BREAST, ABOUT 30G. BUT IS THERE A MAGIC NUMBER OF GRAMS WE SHOULD BE AIMING FOR IN OUR DIETS? WE JUST HAD A PACK IN 200 PLUS GRAMS OF PROTEIN IN A DAY. THERE’S NO ONE SET NUMBER FOR EVERYBODY, AND EVEN WITHIN THAT, THERE’S ALSO DIFFERENT PROTEIN RANGES DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PERSON’S HEALTH IS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A WAY YOU CAN CALCULATE A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR YOUR RECOMMENDED DAILY PROTEIN NEEDS. YOU MULTIPLY YOUR BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS BY 0.36G. IF I WAS TAKING CARE OF LIKE 110 POUND WOMAN, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT SHE’D NEED ABOUT 45 TO 50G OF PROTEIN PER DAY. OF COURSE, THAT NUMBER CAN CHANGE DEPENDING ON YOUR PROTEIN GOALS, O’MARA SAYS. PROTEIN AND THE MUSCLE MASS IT CAN BUILD ARE KEY TO BOOSTING YOUR METABOLISM, BUT IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS. I’M JESSICA BROWN WCVB NEWSCENTER FIVE. OUR THANKS TO JESSICA FOR THAT. TONIGHT AT FIVE, WE TAKE YOU ON A HEALTH TREND. YOU CAN WEAR FROM WATCHES TO RINGS. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S A DEVICE FOR EVERYTHING. WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU CLICK BUY AND HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THOSE WEARABLE HEALTH TRACKERS. THAT’S TONIGHT. ONLY ON NEWSCENTER FIVE AT FIVE. I’M INTERESTED IN THAT ONE TOO, BECAUSE I GOT MY NEW RING, AND I DON’T KNOW IF I’M NOW OBSESSING MORE OVER MY SLEE

You probably don’t need foods with added protein, nutritionists say

Updated: 12:29 PM CDT Jun 21, 2025

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The human body needs protein. Proteins carry out countless functions inside cells, and they are vital for the growth, repair and maintenance of muscles, bones and skin. And with food companies rolling out high-protein versions of a huge range of foods, including milkshakes and granola bars — and even pancakes and popcorn — you might be tempted to think you need to add more to your diet. Related video above — Latest health obsession: the push to pile on proteinBut nutritionists say that if you are getting enough food, you are probably getting enough protein.”Adding protein to foods is very beneficial — for the profits of that food,” said Federica Amati, nutrition lead at Imperial College London and head nutritionist at the health science company ZOE. “It is not based on health, it is not backed by science.”The amount of protein you need depends on your age, weight and personal nutritional needs, and it is especially important for children and older adults to make sure they eat protein-rich foods. Here’s what to know about how much protein you need and how to ensure you’re getting it from the best sources.Protein is a macronutrient, or a basic kind of food like fat or carbohydrates, that your body needs to function. There are thousands of proteins, assembled from smaller molecules called amino acids — most of which can be made by the body. “Because protein is so important, our body has adapted really well to making sure that it can reassemble and change the building blocks of these amino acids to make sure we have what we need, as long as we’re eating adequate amounts of food,” Amati said.Still, the body can’t make all the amino acids, so some must come from food. The World Health Organization recommends that healthy adults get about 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight (0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight). That’s roughly 60 grams for men and 50 grams for women per day, based on body weights of 165 pounds (75 kilograms) for men and 143 pounds (65 kilograms) for women. In most rich countries, the average adult gets far more, Amati said. Protein deficiencies are mostly seen in malnourished people on subsistence diets in poorer countries, she said.Bridget Benelam, a nutritionist with the British Nutrition Foundation, said it was important to get protein from different foods, like dairy, fish, beans, nuts, vegetables and meat. She said studies suggest vegetarians and vegans have lower protein intake than meat and fish eaters, but that their average protein levels are still OK. Having some protein at every meal is also a likely a good idea. “It appears to be better for preserving muscle function if you have some protein throughout the day, rather than just having it all in one meal,” Benelam said.Plant-based sources of protein include foods such as beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh and meat substitutes. Fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy foods such as milk and yogurt are also good sources of protein. Amati said that proteins from animal-based sources may be easier for the body to break down compared to plant-based proteins, which tend to have more fiber.”If you eat a piece of beef, you’re getting protein and things like zinc and iron, but you’re also getting more saturated fat,” she said. In comparison, Amati said eating protein-rich foods like chickpeas or beans also provides the body with fiber, something that’s lacking in most of our diets. “Unless you have a specific health issue that requires you to have more protein, most people in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. do not need more,” said Benelam, of the British Nutrition Foundation.Amati, of Imperial College London, said people should scrutinize the ingredient list of protein-enriched products to make sure they aren’t loaded with sugar and fat.For people trying to build more muscle, she recommended a more direct solution: exercise. “If you’re worried about your body composition and muscle strength, you have to lift (heavier) weights and give your body a challenge,” Amati said. “Eating a protein bar is not going to help.”___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The human body needs protein. Proteins carry out countless functions inside cells, and they are vital for the growth, repair and maintenance of muscles, bones and skin. And with food companies rolling out high-protein versions of a huge range of foods, including milkshakes and granola bars — and even pancakes and popcorn — you might be tempted to think you need to add more to your diet.

Related video above — Latest health obsession: the push to pile on protein

But nutritionists say that if you are getting enough food, you are probably getting enough protein.

“Adding protein to foods is very beneficial — for the profits of that food,” said Federica Amati, nutrition lead at Imperial College London and head nutritionist at the health science company ZOE. “It is not based on health, it is not backed by science.”

The amount of protein you need depends on your age, weight and personal nutritional needs, and it is especially important for children and older adults to make sure they eat protein-rich foods. Here’s what to know about how much protein you need and how to ensure you’re getting it from the best sources.

Protein is a macronutrient, or a basic kind of food like fat or carbohydrates, that your body needs to function. There are thousands of proteins, assembled from smaller molecules called amino acids — most of which can be made by the body.

“Because protein is so important, our body has adapted really well to making sure that it can reassemble and change the building blocks of these amino acids to make sure we have what we need, as long as we’re eating adequate amounts of food,” Amati said.

Still, the body can’t make all the amino acids, so some must come from food.

The World Health Organization recommends that healthy adults get about 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight (0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight). That’s roughly 60 grams for men and 50 grams for women per day, based on body weights of 165 pounds (75 kilograms) for men and 143 pounds (65 kilograms) for women.

In most rich countries, the average adult gets far more, Amati said. Protein deficiencies are mostly seen in malnourished people on subsistence diets in poorer countries, she said.

Bridget Benelam, a nutritionist with the British Nutrition Foundation, said it was important to get protein from different foods, like dairy, fish, beans, nuts, vegetables and meat. She said studies suggest vegetarians and vegans have lower protein intake than meat and fish eaters, but that their average protein levels are still OK.

Having some protein at every meal is also a likely a good idea. “It appears to be better for preserving muscle function if you have some protein throughout the day, rather than just having it all in one meal,” Benelam said.

Plant-based sources of protein include foods such as beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh and meat substitutes. Fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy foods such as milk and yogurt are also good sources of protein. Amati said that proteins from animal-based sources may be easier for the body to break down compared to plant-based proteins, which tend to have more fiber.

“If you eat a piece of beef, you’re getting protein and things like zinc and iron, but you’re also getting more saturated fat,” she said. In comparison, Amati said eating protein-rich foods like chickpeas or beans also provides the body with fiber, something that’s lacking in most of our diets.

“Unless you have a specific health issue that requires you to have more protein, most people in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. do not need more,” said Benelam, of the British Nutrition Foundation.

Amati, of Imperial College London, said people should scrutinize the ingredient list of protein-enriched products to make sure they aren’t loaded with sugar and fat.

For people trying to build more muscle, she recommended a more direct solution: exercise.

“If you’re worried about your body composition and muscle strength, you have to lift (heavier) weights and give your body a challenge,” Amati said. “Eating a protein bar is not going to help.”

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.



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