Doctor says ‘protein maxxing’ short on real health benefits

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Protein is everywhere.

Grocery stores are full of products that promise extra protein, and federal health authorities have sung the virtues of adding more to Americans' diets.

But a University of Missouri Health Care doctor said Tuesday that there's not much evidence to show that "protein maxxing" has any health benefits.

The American Medical Association defines "protein maxxing" as a trend "where users focus on maximizing dietary protein intake to boost metabolism, manage weight and build muscle".

University of Missouri School of Medicine Senior Associate Dean of Research Bettina Mittendorfer said there is little evidence that adding excessive protein to your diet improves muscle strength.

"If you protein max because you think you're going to build more muscle, you become stronger, there's no evidence really that this works," Mittendorfer said.

Mittendorfer added that excessive protein intake can raise health concerns.

"High protein intake, particularly high protein intake from animal sources, meats, dairy products, and things like that, is associated with greater risks of developing Type 2 diabetes. They're also associated with a greater risk of developing heart disease," Mittendorfer said.

The standard recommended dietary allowance for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight for a healthy adult.

When asked why Mittendorfer thinks this "protein-maxxing" trend has become popular, she said that it comes down to the other food groups falling out of favor and protein being easy to sell.

"So I think this is sort of if I'm not supposed to eat carbs, if I'm not supposed to eat fat, I gotta eat something to eat the protein," Mittendorfer said.

Catherine Peterson, an associate director and associate professor of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri, said that she was unfamiliar with the trend, but she does know about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services coming out with recommendations called the Dietary Guidelines for Americans that are roughly double the recommended daily allowance.

Peterson said that there are four tenets of good nutrition, and if you violate one or more, you could be facing risks.

"You're kind of playing a little bit with some possible risks that we don't even know, either foreseen or unforeseen, because you are throwing off balance," Peterson said when talking about violating one of the tenets.

Peterson stressed eating plant-based protein to provide other nutrients, like fiber.

"Because at least you get in some of the other goodies that plants provide, like fiber and phytochemicals and vitamins and minerals," Peterson said.

Peterson said too much protein compromises gut health. She recommends keeping a balanced diet with fruit, vegetables, and grain alongside protein.

Peterson recommends not exceeding 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight.