Why are we so obsessed with protein? A new book is looking for answers

Protein
Samantha King and Gavin Weedon
Duke University Press

I knew the protein craze had hit the mainstream when a commercial for reality star Khloé Kardashian’s protein popcorn appeared (no pun intended) on the same day I heard comedian Stephen Merchant candidly discuss the nutrient in a witty podcast.

Protein plays an important role in many aspects of our health, from building muscle and fighting infection to regulating hormones. That doesn’t mean it’s more important than other nutrients like carbs or fat, but it definitely has its moment in the wellness sun. Then the publication of the book Protein: The Making of a Nutritional Superstar feels perfectly timed.

The authors, Samantha King at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, and Gavin Weedon at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, are both sociologists specializing in sport, health and the body. Here they dig into how the cultural obsession with protein came about. The problem is that they don’t also answer the questions that I, and probably most readers, are looking for.

Instead, they begin by explaining in detail the nuts and bolts that went into discovering amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and even how the molecule got its name—information that didn’t particularly excite me. When they finally delve into how protein took center stage, they attribute its success to its cross-demographic appeal: it’s the key to fitness for millennials and Gen Xers, an energy provider for baby boomers and a muscle-loss preventer for older people.

The two ends of that age spectrum are apparently particularly susceptible to such marketing. For millennia, King and Weedon have placed this susceptibility in the hands of the “manosphere”, arguing that “protein-fueled exercise of the body becomes a salve for a wounded Trumpian masculinity”. To their older colleagues, the pair argue that protein pushing is a political and economic doctrine to reduce public health spending on conditions such as sarcopenia, a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that has been linked to both old age and insufficient protein intake.

It’s not that these points are necessarily wrong, but they feel theoretical. King and Weedon never present convincing evidence that pulls these arguments together.

One thing I do agree with them on is that most people health-conscious enough to eat a protein bar probably aren’t deficient in this nutrient—much like how the wellness influencers who add a spoonful of “superfood” green powder to their kale and blueberry smoothie probably don’t need the extra vitamin C it contains.

As a health journalist, I know that it is actually difficult to be protein deficient if you live in a high-income country and consume the recommended 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day. Current guidelines in the UK recommend that we get 0.75 grams of protein per day per kilogram of body weight. This can be achieved with just a few snacks and meals, although this should be increased if you exercise a lot.

I was hoping I would read Protein and determine whether these policies should be scrapped. I also expected to be told if my consumption of it would change throughout my life, or even across my menstrual cycle. Other unanswered questions include whether you can have too much protein, and the best vegan source.

Frustratingly, research on such questions is limited and often contradictory. When it comes to ingesting too much, the body breaks down excess protein and excretes waste products like urine, so buying protein popcorn can literally be money down the toilet. Research also suggests that eating too much protein for too long puts strain on the kidneys and increases the risk of heart problems.

I didn’t finish Protein with more clarity on this subject, and perhaps sociologists were not best suited to address these nutritional issues. But publishing this when we’re all assessing our intake surely means that, like me, most readers will close the book still wondering, “How much protein should I really be eating?”

Two more interesting books on diet

Outside the scale
Aimee Donnellan

Reuters columnist Donnellan argues for a reassessment of obesity following the success of the new class of GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, which will hopefully reduce stigma against the condition.

Ferment
Tim Spector

Founder of the nutrition company ZOE, Spector convincingly guides readers through the benefits of eating fermented foods, without the book feeling like an advertisement for the company’s gut supplements.