One of today’s most talked about food trends is protein and the benefits it provides. You can see fitness pages on all different social media platforms praising protein and expressing the importance it carries in their diet. It can be difficult to not believe them when they have amazing bodies and a high following to represent how much people take them seriously.

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So protein in all forms is good for you, right? Well let’s talk about some protein fallacies, and I’ll let you be the judge.

Fallacy 1: You need a high-protein diet and you’re probably not getting enough.

Those who follow a western diet (usually Americans) are consuming more than half the necessary amount of protein. This is because this diet is very meat and dairy product heavy. This has potential to do damage to the body. Studies show that those who consume high amounts of animal-based protein had raised their diabetes risk by 22%

Fallacy 2: A high-protein diet can help you lose weight.

Consuming high levels of protein calories won’t make you stronger or have a higher amount of muscle mass. It is important to eat a balanced diet so that your body contains the necessary nutrients to digest and process calories in a beneficial way. Most people could benefit from following a more plant-based diet; this allows for one to consume a healthy amount of protein, along with other beneficial nutrients. 

Fallacy 3: Protein can only be found in meat and animal products.

One half of a cup of tofu contains 13 grams of protein (that aren’t linked to diabetes). Split peas contain 16 grams of protein and one cup of lentils has 16 grams; neither have cholesterol. Whole grains and vegetables are amazing sources of protein, and they don’t have the tied health risks that animal products do.

The previously stated are just a few examples myths on protein. It’s important that before diving into a food trend promoted by someone online, to do some research and see if those promoters really know what they’re talking about. Hopefully, this short read was able to motivate you to make that next step and find out more.