The problem with protein

How much is too much?

By Culinate staff

January 31, 2012

Protein has long been the star of the American dinner table, but how much do our bodies really need?

As you might expect, many of us are consuming too much, says Grist — especially fans of meat. A 12-ounce steak packs more protein than most adults need in one day (a 175-pound person should be eating 65 to 80 grams daily). Not to mention the protein we get from everything else: eggs, dairy, nuts, rice, and beans. Heck, even vegetables have protein, a point drilled home recently in a Whole Foods Market blog post pointing out that broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak.

It turns out that our bodies can process only so much of the nutrient before it turns to waste — so there may be no point to drinking those oh-so-delicious protein shakes. What’s more, says Grist, over-proteination may have some health implications, including a possible increased risk of heart disease and kidney damage. All the more reason to eat less meat, at least before 6 p.m.

Grist’s story is part of a longer series on the environmental impacts of high-protein foods. For more in this series, check out "The soy next door" and "The toll your protein takes on the earth."