THE bars and shakes were just the start. These days, there are high-protein cereals and high-protein yogurts, protein-fortified bread and cheese, protein-dense noodles and even ice creams loaded with the muscle-building macronutrient. What next, protein water? Well, yes actually. What will it be: still, sparkling or diet whey protein water?
Stroll through your local supermarket today and you can hardly fail to notice the P word. Usually accompanied with “high” or “extra”, it seems to be emblazoned on the packaging of almost every foodstuff possible. Many of us have come to see protein as a sort of elixir of health. Not only does it apparently help you build muscle, it will guarantee weight loss by keeping you fuller for longer. Hence the desire for all those high-protein products. But is there actually any evidence to suggest that these foods and drinks are beneficial?
Our bodies certainly demand protein. Together with fat and carbohydrate, it makes up the trio of basic macronutrients that humans need. Proteins are assembled from a repertoire of 20 amino acids, the basic building blocks of bone, muscle, skin and blood. It is especially important that we get enough of the eight so-called essential amino acids because, unlike the others, our bodies cannot make them.
So the protein we get from our food is vital. We have known that for a long time. In recent years, however, many of us have become convinced we need more of the stuff.
Even if you haven’t come across Weetabix Protein Crunch, say, or the Mars Hi Protein bar, the stats are instructive. The number of food and drink products launched with a high-protein claim in the …
