Protein Won’t Solve Our Nutrition Problem

Buffalo Wild Wings now offers an unusual new drink: “Espresso Proteini.” Marketed for National Espresso Martini Day, the $12 drink includes 10 grams of Muscle Milk protein powder with a signature Buffalo dry rub rim.

While the drink may seem extreme, it is not an outlier. Starbucks now features protein cold foam and Dunkin’ touts its protein milk. Mars candy has reformulated some candy bars to boast 20 grams of protein. Cottage cheese and protein powder have surged in popularity. Protein has, in essence, become a marketing centerpiece.

As protein takes center stage in American diets, we risk overlooking a more pressing public health problem: widespread deficiencies in essential nutrients that protein alone cannot fix.

The rise of “proteinization,” as some critics have termed it, is multifactorial. Social media and fitness influencers promote high-protein diets as shorthand for health while championing “healthier physiques.” Post-pandemic, more Americans are prioritizing wellness, often equating it with muscle gain, fat loss, and body positivity. The growing use of GLP-1 medications has accelerated the focus on body composition as weight loss has become more accessible, affordable, and quicker. For the food industry, protein is easy to quantify, market, and sell.

Research in the 1980s estimated that the average adult required 0.66 grams of protein per kilogram. To ensure the dietary guidelines met the needs of all Americans, the recommended daily allowance was set at 0.8 grams per kilogram. Additional research suggested that higher intakes may be more accurate targets, especially for specific populations like older adults at risk of muscle loss or people engaged in regular resistance training. More recently, the dietary guidelines were updated to recommend 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram — up to double the amount previously recommended.

Increased protein consumption is not inherently harmful for most people except those with chronic kidney disease. However, increased intake offers diminishing returns for most healthy adults. This is due to saturation of muscle synthesis pathways where excess protein is oxidized for energy or excreted.

Americans already may be eating more than enough protein. Data from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggested that a majority of Americans were eating closer to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram. Meanwhile, this same survey showed striking deficiencies in other essential micronutrients. Among U.S. adults, 22% were deficient in vitamin D, 14% in iron (higher among women of reproductive age), up to 23% in vitamin B6, and 20% in vitamin B12 among adults over 85. This has consequences for gut absorption of other nutrients, bone mineralization, oxygen delivery, and neural functioning.

The problem is not protein; it is the disproportionate attention we give it. In reality, nutrition should be personalized and we should be striving for healthy balances. Fiber intake should be increased to balance gastrointestinal and cardiometabolic risks. Whole foods rich in vitamins and minerals, including dairy, seafood, legumes, nuts, soy, and leafy green vegetables, should be prioritized.

This imbalance also has equity implications. Protein-rich products are often more expensive, while access to fresh, nutrient-dense foods remains limited for hundreds of communities. Over 40 million Americans live in food deserts as defined by limited access to grocery stores or marketplaces. Millions more live in food swamps, with a high ratio of fast food and convenience stores to grocery stores or marketplaces. Living in such counties has been associated with as high as a 77% increased odds of obesity-related cancer morbidity.

As a society, we must reframe nutrition discourse. We must emphasize balanced and multidimensional diets, supported by regular physical activity (both aerobic exercise and strength training), adequate sunlight exposure, and sustainable lifestyle habits. This should be accessible to all communities, meaning we must work toward sustainable and community-driven solutions in low-income areas.

I fear we have become too engrossed in trends, marketable campaigns, and quick solutions. Our patients and communities don’t need more protein. They need trusted professionals who can deliver honest and evidence-based information about healthy eating and disease prevention, and policies that make proper nutrition attainable.

Griffin Sansbury is an MD/MPH Candidate at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.