In recent years, protein has become somewhat of a cultural obsession. You can find it in snacks, drinks, coffee, cereals — you name it, it’s been protein-fortified.
Social media makes it sound like the more protein you eat, the healthier you’ll be, with some TikTok influencers pushing an all-carnivore diet. But it can be hard to distinguish what’s true from what’s trendy. GBH’s All Things Considered’s series Reality Check — a collaboration with our friends at NOVA — is here to cut through the noise.
Boston University nutrition professor Dr. Joan Salge-Blake joined GBH’s All Things Considered host Arun Rath to talk about all things protein. What follows is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.
Arun Rath: Let’s talk about protein. I first [became] aware of protein in protein drinks because of taking care of older people who wanted to be aware of how much protein they were [consuming]; they might not be getting enough protein. And then, I became aware of the same thing — actually, I started drinking the same protein drinks because I heard that it was a good post-workout recovery. But now it’s marketed everywhere to everybody. It’s in everything.
First off, before we get into fact versus fiction, just give us a baseline. How important is protein to be thinking about for someone who’s not, say, old or having other issues that they need to be thinking about their nutrition in that way?
Dr. Joan Salge-Blake: Let me tell you, protein is very important in the diet. But so are carbohydrates and also healthy fats. So it’s not bigger than those other two macronutrients.
You do need protein in your diet. You need it for your body to grow efficiently. You need it for your cells to turn over, for muscle mass, growing your hair and for your skin. You need a lot, but a little goes a long way.
Rath: Are people getting enough protein?
Salge-Blake: Yes, the majority of Americans are getting enough protein. There are going to be some people out there that aren’t — that’d be people with food insecurity or other issues — but for the most part, you’re getting enough to meet your needs.
Now, the kind of protein, or the sources that you’re getting it from, may not be as healthy as some others. If you’re having a lot or an excess amount of protein from animal sources that are high in fat, then you’re going to have a lot of heart-unhealthy, saturated fat in your diet.
It’s a real balance. It’s a balance on your plate, a balance in your diet to make sure that there’s carbohydrates in your diet, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein — animal sources but also plant sources like beans — and dairy products to give you some good sources of not only protein, but calcium, and to get fruits and vegetables in your diet. You need a balance on your plate.
Rath: Let’s talk about the different sources of protein, though, because you mentioned meat. That’s obviously big for this carnivore diet, and particularly, they really seem to like red meat. This has got billions and billions of views on TikTok — the carnivore diet. Tell us what you think about the all-carnivore diet. From what you said about balance, the word “all” may be a problem.
Salge-Blake: The carnivore diet is a fad that’s trending now, but it’s extremely restrictive; it only includes foods of animal sources. We’re talking meat, poultry, fish, eggs and some specific dairy products, but it eliminates completely the whole grains, fruits and vegetables. This goes totally opposite to what we know is a really healthy diet.
You know, if you’re going to eliminate whole food groups — such as grains, fruits and vegetables — you’re going to end up with deficiencies in so many areas. Believe it or not, there is documentation that people who have been chronically on the carnivore diet actually developed scurvy. Isn’t that wild? Let me tell you something — to meet your minimum vitamin C needed to prevent scurvy, we’re talking about a quarter cup of orange juice a day. That’s it!
You can imagine if you’re on something that’s eliminating all these food groups, you’re eliminating other nutrients in your diet. So, again, you have a risk of falling short in so many categories where you really could end up with malnutrition.
Rath: What about other sources of protein? I’m thinking specifically of, say, when you get a smoothie with protein powder that’s plant-based. Is that pretty much straight-up, OK protein?
Salge-Blake: Yeah, if you want to add protein powder to your smoothie, that’s absolutely fine. But the question is: Do you really need it? You know, when we look at the science, when we look at a diet that is truly healthy for long-term health, as well as maintaining a healthy body — let’s just take a plane over to the Mediterranean. In the Mediterranean diet, you’re going to have adequate amounts of protein, a lot of it from fish, which is great for your heart.
It’s also based on so many plant foods — grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and healthy oils. We know a diet like this is really good for your long-term health, and even your immediate health. When you do the direct opposite and you eliminate those plant-based foods, you’re really going against science, as far as a diet that’s good for you.
Rath: Is there a problem with too much protein? I mean, should we avoid products that are pitched as being “extra-fortified?”
Salge-Blake: First of all, you have to look at [if] you really need it. If you’re following this carnivore diet and it’s high in fatty meats, you’re going to have the problem of increasing that bad LDL cholesterol in your diet. You’re gonna end up with those vitamin and mineral deficiencies because you’re eliminating all those plant foods. Also, not glamorous, but [you’ll experience] constipation.
So, you don’t need that much. The question is, do you need to go out and get something that’s fortified with protein? And you know, you’re right — everything is fortified with protein now. I mean, I’m telling you, within a week, I’m probably going to see toothpaste that’s fortified with protein. You know, you swallow a little bit, you get a gram, whatever. But you don’t really need it. I mean, this is going way beyond — and it’s often very costly.
