Are you getting enough protein?

Is there such a thing as too much? Here is a fact-check of six big claims about protein

- Alice Callahan

NEW YORK - People are in a protein craze, and it is hard to ignore. Walk into any grocery store, and you will find rows of protein-fortified energy bars, breakfast cereals, baked goods, snacks and sports drinks. And on social media, influencers — many with medical or scientific degrees in their bios— claim that most people are woefully deficient.

One of the most well-known protein proponents is Dr. Peter Attia, a physician, podcaster and author who advises and invests in various protein-related food companies. In his best-selling book, Outlive (2022), he says that the federal recommendations for protein are "a joke," suggesting that most healthy and active people should consume nearly three times as much.

In a 2024 survey of 3,000 American adults, 71 percent said they were trying to consume more protein—up from 59 percent in 2022.

So, are the federal recommendations wrong? Would most people benefit from eating more protein? Or is the obsession just another passing health fad?

The New York Times reviewed dozens of studies and interviewed 12 nutrition scientists, many of whom have been studying protein for decades. All agreed that more research on the topic is needed, but the science now does clarify some of the confusion.

Here is a fact-check of six big protein claims.

THE CLAIM: THE FEDERAL RECOMMENDATION IS WRONG
Scientists have debated whether it should be a little higher, but the current level seems adequate for most people.

Nutrition experts in the United States recommend that most healthy adults eat at least 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight every day. For a 68kg adult, this translates to 54g a day—or the amount in about 240g of chicken breast.

Some studies suggest this amount should be higher—by about 25 to 50 percent, or 1 to 1.2g per kg of body weight. But scientists do not agree that those studies are better than the ones used to make the federal recommendation.