The Protein Obsession is Going Horribly Wrong

I don’t eat any packaged processed food the past 2 years - the result of being 65 and on limited income, making my food from fresh every single day because it is less expensive. My blood test results show amazing improvements since I’ve been doing this, the best I’ve had in 3 decades. So it’s worth all the home preparation (slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing, sautéing, steaming, ugh). But it’s worth it. I do about 60 grams of protein per day with my target weight being 120 pounds. I also do about 60 minutes of low impact aerobic exercise (mini trampoline) several times per week.

Most people will just look for any excuse to overeat. Portion sizes here in America are out of control.

Really nice job, Dr. Stanfield. 👏 I especially loved how you addressed protein fortified ultra processed food. I didn't know about the Spanish study. Fascinating!

DUDE!.. you rock!.. This is one of the few reviews I've seen that actually addresses the research findings and the fact that it's largely about individual amino acids and their signaling. So many influencers massively oversimplify the topic and clump all amino acids together as "protien"...

I am getting a bit tired of people equating carbs with fast carbs. Fast carbs have very few satiety effects, but fiber and slow carbs (from beans, for instance) are very satiating.

All 16 studies referenced in the video are linked in the video's description 💊Supplements that Dr Brad takes: https://drstanfield.com/pages/my-supplements 💊MicroVitamin (multivitamin & mineral that I take): https://drstanfield.com/products/microvitamin 🩺 Get your personalized health roadmap from Dr Brad: https://drstanfield.com/pages/roadmap

Scientist by training here. Have read Outlive, and heard Dr Longo at AACR in 2022. Fascinating work on what he terms a Fasting Mimicking Diet - and high protein is not a part of it, primarily it’s restricting calories with strict macro limits. Thank you for the excellent analysis- and great take-away messages on what a reasonable target for protein should be, as well as a well deserved caution around ultra high processed foods labeled “high protein” but still not healthy.

I'm always so amazed at how carefully and thoroughly you try to think things through in an effort to give the most optimal advice. Really appreciate it.

I took part in some trials/studies in the 90s. They were garbage. If you have a verifiable disease and take a specific medication great, but if you're asking average people who are strapped for cash to self report on a diet they don't want to maintain, good luck. I had chronic heartburn and did trials and I still had to bend the truth quite heavily to stay in. Most of the others were there for the cash. It was nonsense. There was also a lot of coaching by the administrators as well. Garbage.

"What about older people?" BRILLIANT! I love your info, Dr. Stanfield! You are transparent with your findings and know how to do actual research using the tools of the medical trade! You are one of my go-to trusted resources who have become even MORE valuable to me since the decimation of HHS by JFK, Jr. began a few months ago! This is one of the best presentations about the importance of protein in our diet. Although I've tried and tried, I'm 76 years old and have never been able to build much muscle. Over 50 years ago, I became a vegetarian and later a vegan. I'm not about to become a meat-eater now for ethical and compassionate reasons. I'll admit, I have been following and listening to several big-name influencers (Dr. Attia and Dr. Huberman, to name two) for a while now. I was convinced my protein intake was too low, so that I couldn't keep or add to my lean muscle mass. I still believe that to be the case. In the early 1970s, I became interested in health and nutrition because I was a new vegetarian. My dietary habits were turned upside down as I'd grown up on the SAD diet - Standard American Diet. I knew it was essential to learn about what I should be eating. My good friend and business partner also became a vegetarian. The more we learned, the more excited we got. (I know, nerds, huh.) We decided to make a business educating people about nutrition and health. This was the early days of a burgeoning new field of nutrition. Science was beginning to show us how nutrition played the most critical role in health and weight control. It was long before the Internet. Jenny Craig was 10 years in the future. Nutrisystem could've been our immediate competitor. Weight Watchers (WW) was already established and did not look anything like the WW of today! Our approach was novel at the time. We based it on regular sessions with one-on-one or small group meetings, a cassette tape series detailing science-backed information that attempted to explain the whys and wherefores of nutrition, and our brand of nutritional supplements and health paraphernalia. We had scientists who were experts in physiology and nutrition who blessed, sourced, or originated content. We were lucky enough to find investors who stepped up to fund our project. However, Sensible Weight Control Centers of America never got off the ground. In the end, the venture capitalists wanted controlling interests, and we were not happy with that arrangement. So, instead of 49% of a new and exciting idea, we got 100% of nothing! My partner and I were too young and inexperienced in business to know what was good for us. I confess all this to say that things have changed dramatically over the past 40-50 years. Nutrition science has undoubtedly changed. I find another sacred cow I must let out to pasture almost every day. The protein obsession has been around a long, long time. It's an old sacred cow! Science sharpens our understanding of biology, and I appreciate your approach to health. You are not afraid to change your "prescription" for health when the science supports change. Protein: I thought for a long time that the emphasis on protein was overblown. Way back when, I was advised that I must get "complete protein" in the same meals. Now we know that is not true. A common misunderstanding is that meat is high in protein. A typical Big Mac is less than 20g of protein but with loads of saturated fat and other "fabulous" goodies. A 100g steak (the size of a deck of cards) is about 25% to 29% protein. Tofu, beans, and rice all give you plenty of protein. As I said earlier, I've been listening to some influencers in this health arena. I was convinced to try increasing my protein intake. I went from about 86g/day to 150g/day. I even got up to 180g/day once or twice over the past few months. It's hard! Initially, I lost roughly 20 pounds. Then, as I increased my grams of protein above 105g/day, I began gaining weight! Oh, no! I don't know why for sure. Despite working out (resistance training) 3 to 4 times a week, I gained about 5 pounds. In closing, I'm not sure where I'll end up in the amount of protein I consume daily, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for more of your great offerings! EDIT: As a vegan, I was also supplementing with L-methionine because I knew that most plant-based proteins are low in that amino acid. THEN, I became aware of the possible link between methionine and cancer. I have prostate cancer and have stopped adding additional Methionine to my diet. Why? Limited studies have shown that "Methionine restriction (MR) has shown significant potential in inhibiting prostate cancer through multiple mechanisms." I won't go into it here, but my lab work has improved since stopping Methionine supplementation and continuing with a plant-based protein diet! My prostate has decreased in size, my PSA has gone down, and the MRI shows no lesions of concern! So, count me in on a plant-based diet with Methionine restriction.