The Power of Protein

Experts explain why we need this crucial nutrient and how much we should get (more than you think!). Plus, some key pointers on packing your meals with it. Double plus: recipes!

- JENNA HELWIG

YOU’VE PROBABLY noticed that we’ve been going through a bit of a protein craze lately. You can thank the paleo and keto diets for kicking things off, and give Instagram and TikTok some credit for showing us endless delicious-looking cottage cheese videos. When you consider that the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is only 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, or about 54 grams for a 150-pound person, the fixation on protein can seem a little over the top. Just one more nutrition trend we can safely ignore, like the Great Celery Juice Frenzy of 2019.

Not so fast. A consensus is emerging that people—especially most women, and especially most women over 40—need significantly more protein than the RDA states, says Katie Sullivan Morford, RD, author of Rise & Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings. There are a few reasons for this. First of all: “The RDA is the minimum amount to prevent deficiency. It’s not necessarily what’s ideal for optimal health,” Morford says. Second: As we age, more protein is required to maintain the same amount of muscle mass, says Annie Fenn, MD, author of The Brain Health Kitchen. “The issue is anabolic resistance, a well-documented phenomenon of aging. The older you get, the less robustly your muscles respond to the stimulus of exercise and dietary protein.”

In other words, without increasing how much protein you consume, you're at higher risk of losing muscle mass, which can lead to frailty, falls, and fractures—an alliteration no one wants in their life.

Adults who maintain muscle mass as they age also tend to have healthier brains, Fenn says. “It might be a direct mechanism, such as providing certain amino acids needed to boost neurotransmitters. Or it might be indirect, by preventing muscle loss and frailty, which can lead to a less active and engaged brain-healthy lifestyle.” Either way, no, thank you!