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This article has a vaguely negative view of the high protein fad. However, if people are even occasionally switching from sugary drinks (pepsi, coke, starbucks,

This article has a vaguely negative view of the high protein fad. However, if people are even occasionally switching from sugary drinks (pepsi, coke, starbucks, etc.) to protein drinks, that's probably net good for people's health. Not because excess protein is beneficial, but because it isn't as harmful as excess sugar.

Theodores 9y ago
'Good healthy' is not always what it seems, there is a disease of orthorexia and 'clean eating' that is notionally very healthy - everything is juiced into kale smoothies (cellulose the body still can't digest...) - and people don't do too well out of it. As a vegetarian I have had to my own perspective on mankind's obsession with protein for a long time, really it is over-rated as the body makes the proteins it needs from amino acids, not from protein eaten from i.e. a sausage made of pig gristle and shoved in an oven. Or from these whey powder things.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- slothtrop 9y ago
  The only advantage of a large protein surplus is quickened muscle development. That aside I wouldn't discount the value of dietary protein. Testosterone levels in males this generation are already too low (leading to weakened hearts, infertility and apparently lethargy/depression), and protein is one thing that can help.
  - frenchy 9y ago
    > protein is one thing (low testosterone levels) can help. Do you have a source on this? I haven't heard this. I think I've heard that low protein consumption is linked to some cases of low testosterone levels, but that's all I was aware of.
  - cornholio 9y ago
    Protein intake can also protect against lean body mass loss when fasting and losing weight. This prevents the trap of low weight, low basal metabolic rate many people experience after a diet, when they are in great danger of rapidly accumulating the weight back because they also lost muscle with the fat. For a healthy person following a balanced diet not looking to lose weight or build muscle, protein supplementation is unnecessary and can even be harmful by over-exerting the kidneys.
- Thriptic 9y ago
  > As a vegetarian I have had to my own perspective on mankind's obsession with protein for a long time, really it is over-rated as the body makes the proteins it needs from amino acids, not from protein eaten from i.e. a sausage made of pig gristle and shoved in an oven. Or from these whey powder things. This is not fully true. There are essential amino acids which can not be synthesized by the body and need to come from consumption of external protein sources.
  - carlmr 9y ago
    Which you can get from vegetarian food. Eggs contain the whole thing (if you count them as vegetarian). Nuts contain a lot of the right amino acids. And beans combined with grains also gives you whole proteins. Soy protein is also whole, I think, but there's still some debate whether it's healthy for men to consume so much soy.

Theodores 9y ago

'Good healthy' is not always what it seems, there is a disease of orthorexia and 'clean eating' that is notionally very healthy - everything is juiced into kale smoothies (cellulose the body still can't digest...) - and people don't do too well out of it. As a vegetarian I have had to my own perspective on mankind's obsession with protein for a long time, really it is over-rated as the body makes the proteins it needs from amino acids, not from protein eaten from i.e. a sausage made of pig gristle and shoved in an oven. Or from these whey powder things.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
slothtrop 9y ago
The only advantage of a large protein surplus is quickened muscle development. That aside I wouldn't discount the value of dietary protein. Testosterone levels in males this generation are already too low (leading to weakened hearts, infertility and apparently lethargy/depression), and protein is one thing that can help.
- frenchy 9y ago
  > protein is one thing (low testosterone levels) can help. Do you have a source on this? I haven't heard this. I think I've heard that low protein consumption is linked to some cases of low testosterone levels, but that's all I was aware of.
- cornholio 9y ago
  Protein intake can also protect against lean body mass loss when fasting and losing weight. This prevents the trap of low weight, low basal metabolic rate many people experience after a diet, when they are in great danger of rapidly accumulating the weight back because they also lost muscle with the fat. For a healthy person following a balanced diet not looking to lose weight or build muscle, protein supplementation is unnecessary and can even be harmful by over-exerting the kidneys.
Thriptic 9y ago
> As a vegetarian I have had to my own perspective on mankind's obsession with protein for a long time, really it is over-rated as the body makes the proteins it needs from amino acids, not from protein eaten from i.e. a sausage made of pig gristle and shoved in an oven. Or from these whey powder things. This is not fully true. There are essential amino acids which can not be synthesized by the body and need to come from consumption of external protein sources.
- carlmr 9y ago
  Which you can get from vegetarian food. Eggs contain the whole thing (if you count them as vegetarian). Nuts contain a lot of the right amino acids. And beans combined with grains also gives you whole proteins. Soy protein is also whole, I think, but there's still some debate whether it's healthy for men to consume so much soy.