Yogurts, custards, jellies, shakes or grated cheese. The range of products with a plus of proteins that we can find in Spanish supermarkets has not stopped growing in recent years.
Under the “high protein” label, hypermarket shelves have been filled with these fortified foods that promise to help tone muscles and .
We buy them believing that they are a very good option for our health, but are they recommended and healthy? And does it have a place in a varied and balanced diet?
How much protein should you take a day?
As explained to him Dr. Miguel Civeraof the (SEEN), “international organizations and scientific societies recommend a protein intake of 0.8 g/kg body/day in adults”.
These nutritional needs are higher in people over 65 years of age, for whom “between 1-1.2 grams of protein per day, per kilogram of body weight, would be recommended.”
However, Doctor Civera warns, citing surveys by the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition, that protein consumption in our country “is quite high and it is above the recommendations of the experts.”
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“In the elderly, taking protein supplements could be indicated if the necessary requirements are not met, but this recommendation should be made on an individual basis and not generalized,” he points out to this portal.
The (OCU) warns, for its part, that these types of products “can lead to the false belief that simply by incorporating them into the diet we are already going to lose weight.”
Although, he clarifies, that they do something because:
“It is true that protein foods are very satiating, and precisely because they quickly generate the sensation that we are full, and because they take us longer to feel hungry, they favor a reduction in caloric intake. So in a way, yes, we could say that they help us eat less”.
Beyond traditional foods that naturally provide a large amount of protein, “in addition to the composition of the food, many other factors are involved in the hunger and satiety regulation mechanisms:
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food texture
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Speed at which you eat
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Liquid intake or not
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chewing time”.
Are products with extra protein recommended?
The older people should increase protein intake to maintain your , a healthy weight and, therefore, a better physical condition.
During pregnancy it is also advisable to increase protein consumption between 60 and 100 grams per day.
Therefore, as Dr. Civera points out, protein-enriched products are not recommended for the general population.
“But they should be advised for people who, for different reasons, do not meet their protein requirements with the usual diet.
And what about the typical gym protein powder?
A study carried out by the indicates that more than half of the people who go to the gym to play sports consume protein supplements.
30% of those surveyed opted for protein powders:
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A nutritional supplement composed mainly of whey, although its ingredients usually also include added sugar, flavorings, thickeners, minerals or vitamins.
The Dr. Juana Carreteroan internist and member of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI) emphasizes that this type of product is not necessary “when one has a healthy diet”.
It must be clarified that these nutritional supplements, as stated by Doctor Civera:
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“They are not a , as long as they are consumed as part of a varied and balanced diet and, especially, in a moderate amount and no abuse“.
However, it can have very serious consequences for our body if they are taken without any type of control, as the specialist emphasizes:
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“Protein intake may be limited in some serious kidney and liver diseases. But this will be indicated by the physicians responsible for the patients.”
And be careful, because if these hyperproteic diets are not well controlled by a doctor “they can cause a renal insufficiency, in the case that the proteins accumulate in excess and the kidney is not able to eliminate it. They can also cause liver damage.
Hyperproteic products should be avoided in the diet of the smallest “because they are the population at greatest risk.”
Are they a good option for athletes?
High performance athletes have to increase protein intake up to 1.2-1.5 grams per body kilo.
Dr. Carretero states that it is advisable to take protein before or after performing intense physical activity. But Doesn’t have to be with protein powder or any other supplement. “It can be with other options.” And he gives some succulent examples:
“A tuna sandwich, Serrano ham… In short, any assimilable protein.”
The SEEN member, Dr. Miguel Civera, on the other hand, believes that “it is a mistake to think that unlimited muscle mass development can be achieved proportional to protein intake. Such a belief can lead to obsessive eating patterns and unbalanced, especially in…