It likely comes as no surprise that our thoughts on maintaining a healthy lifestyle have changed following the pandemic. It is estimated that 85 percent of consumers have changed their eating habits, and among those estimated changes is a conscious effort to eat more protein. Why? Consumers report a desire for a more balanced diet, and they’re looking to satisfy their hunger throughout the day. Consumers are also paying attention to where their protein comes from and they are increasingly looking to plant-based protein sources including soy, pea, hemp, rice, and more. Consumption of plant-based foods is on the rise. In 2020, plant-based foods grew more than twice as fast as the whole segment. But is it better? And how much protein do consumers even need? How can product developers navigate all of these questions when it comes to the science of protein nutrition to create compelling foods and dietary supplements for this expanding consumer base?
It makes sense to set the stage. In human nutrition, dietary protein is a macronutrient made of a combination of 20 amino acids, some of which are classified as essential, meaning they cannot be made by the human body in adequate amounts to meet demand, and therefore must be obtained in the diet.
The amino acids that make up dietary protein serve critical roles in human health. The amino acids found in dietary protein serve as the major structural component throughout the body – ranging from enzymes with highly specialized functions to lean muscle mass. Amino acids also serve as the starting raw materials for countless other molecules in the body and can act as a source of energy that contributes to daily calorie needs.
Dietary protein serves as the building block of muscle throughout the lifespan. Protein helps to support healthy muscle tissue in children as they grow and develop, and adequate protein intake helps to maintain that muscle as we age into our later years
Perhaps most famously, dietary protein serves as the building block of muscle throughout the lifespan. Protein helps to support healthy muscle tissue in children as they grow and develop, and adequate protein intake helps to maintain that muscle as we age into our later years. For athletes, dietary protein helps to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and helps to improve the lean body mass gains delivered by resistance training. For those who are trying to lose weight, higher protein intakes help reduce feelings of hunger and overall caloric intake and help to maintain a healthy body composition by preserving lean body mass while dieting as well. Put simply, dietary protein does a lot of work for you and provides lots of benefits that you can see and feel.
How much protein do we need to consume? In the U.S., the current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for adult men and women above 19 years is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight (BW) in a day, which translates to about 73 grams of protein per day for a 91 kilogram/200 lb person. Most Americans meet this recommendation, but many groups, namely girls of 14-18 years and adults over 71 years tend to consume less than the requirement compared to the national average.
Does that mean everyone gets enough? Well, it depends on whom you ask. Many expert groups advocate getting more protein in your diet than the RDA under certain circumstances. For seniors, some experts recommend 1.0 – 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of BW in a day, and for athletes, intakes up to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of BW in a day have been recommended.
One nuance of protein nutrition is that the timing of intake matters. Most Americans tend to consume more protein at dinner and relatively less at other meals, particularly breakfast and snacks. For athletes in particular, experts recommend consuming 0.3 grams of protein per kilogram of BW in a meal every 3-5 hours, which translates to about 20-30 grams of protein per meal for most people.
What about the different sources of protein? Protein quality is typically defined by the presence and quantity of essential amino acids in the overall protein, which can vary from source to source. While there is no shortage of methods to determine this measure, a commonly used score is the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). Generally speaking, animal-source proteins tend to have a higher PDCAAS score than plant-based protein sources, with sources like milk or whey protein obtaining a “perfect score” on PDCAAS measurements.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that protein for a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough essential amino acids when caloric requirements are met. In addition, more recent data shows that plant-based proteins offer additional benefits. For example, a recent cohort study showed that substituting plant-based proteins for animal protein was associated with better long-term health outcomes in seniors. Furthermore, the production of plant-based protein foods tends to have lower greenhouse gas emissions than the production of animal-based foods.
All this is to say that blanket comparisons between animal and plant-based protein sources can be problematic and are filled with nuances. The bottom line is that both animal and plant-based protein sources have their merits, and experts recommend consuming a wide variety of protein-rich foods from both animal and plant-based sources.
So how can product developers help consumers meet their protein needs? A few key takeaways to remember are:
1) Protein is essential throughout the lifespan and plays important roles in helping to keep our muscles healthy and supporting healthy body composition.
2) Specific groups, like athletes, seniors, teen girls, and people trying to improve their body composition, may benefit from additional protein intake.
3) The best practice is to spread protein intake evenly throughout the day and consumers are most often lacking protein during breakfast and snack time.
4) A mix of dietary protein from both animal and plant-based sources is recommended to support your health.
Dietary supplements and fortified foods provide options for consumers looking to increase their protein intake, and developers can use these insights to create compelling new products to help consumers support a healthy lifestyle.
