From shakes to cereals, high-protein branded products are everywhere, all repeating the mantra that we need to be getting more and more protein, especially through midlife and beyond.
It’s a global industry worth a reported $78bn. But ageing science is telling a more nuanced story. In reality, for many people, eating too much protein could actually be ageing them faster.
This might sound counterintuitive. We’ve been told that protein makes us feel satiated, while studies published in the last two decades have suggested that the combination of strength training – either through lifting weights or push-ups – and a higher-protein diet can counter age-related muscle loss.
Yet some scientists believe that it’s the weights and exercise that are the most important thing for your ageing muscles. If you’re merely eating more protein, it will likely be making your health worse.
Research carried out by Professor Dudley Lamming, a world-leading expert on the subject from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has found that a high-protein diet without any exercise leads to insulin resistance and accumulating more body fat in just over four months, even if you’re consuming the same number of calories.
READ MORE: