How much protein is too much?

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 May 2024

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sales of cottage cheese are booming thanks to a boost from protein-hungry social media influencers. But do we really need all this extra protein? Madeleine Finlay speaks to Joanne Slavin, a professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, to find out what exactly protein is doing in our bodies, and what happens to it when we consume it in excess. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the Guardian. Whether it's bone broth, avocado toast or that baked feta pasta from Tik-Tock, there's always a new food trend around. But the one that's got everyone
0:26.2	excited at the moment, well, you might be surprised.
0:30.8	I took my bagel recipe and made it with cottage cheese because cottage cheese is
0:34.8	having a moment and it came out perfect look at how beautiful this looks. Yes
0:38.9	70s diet culture is calling cottage cheese is back and bigger than ever.
0:45.0	Why, you may ask, is that white lumpy stuff made from curdog milk popular again?
0:52.0	Cottage cheese is legit my superpower when it comes to hitting my protein goal.
0:56.5	So you're going to get 15 grams of protein just from half a cup of cottage cheese alone.
1:01.5	Low carb, high protein, it's so cheesy, yummy and so easy.
1:05.7	It's literally one ingredient, so why not try it?
1:08.2	Cottage cheese is just the latest in a long line of products, powders, shakes, balls and bars that feed our obsession with
1:17.1	protein.
1:18.7	The stuff that's supposed to help us get buff in the gym, feel full, and even supposedly lose weight.
1:25.0	But why has protein become the it girl of macronutrients?
1:31.0	It's the nutrient of the year, right?
1:33.4	Protein is got this halo and people somehow think by consuming more, they'll have more energy,
1:39.8	they'll live longer, they'll look better in the gym and it's just not true.
1:45.1	How much of it do we actually need?
1:48.0	The average person is eating in excess.
1:51.2	And are there any risks from maxing out on your protein intake?
1:55.0	Extra proteins just gonna make you fat.
1:58.0	From the Guardian, I'm Madeline Finley and this is Science Weekly.
	...

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