GP and nutritionist Dr Rupy Aujla says he’s “changed his mind massively around protein” in the past couple of years.
“I used to be of the opinion that current guidelines were sufficient,” says the 39-year-old, whose TV appearances include This Morning, BBC’s Morning Live and Saturday Kitchen.
Current guidelines in the UK suggest around 0.8 grams per kg of bodyweight of protein a day. “It should be at least 50% more,” says Aujla. “Looking at the latest research [into the importance of protein] in some people I would say 100% more.
“We’ve been suggesting a lower amount to prevent deficiency, rather than an adequate amount to help us thrive,” says the GP, who runs The Doctor’s Kitchen and has just published his latest book, Healthy High Protein.
“I was definitely under-consuming protein and that led to fatigue and lack of energy. Particularly for someone who exercises most days – your protein requirements are a lot higher.”
What is protein?
“Proteins are complex molecules that are essential for nearly all biological processes, and they’re composed of 20 amino acids,” says Aujla.
When we think about protein we often think about building muscle, but actually, “when you eat protein, only 25% of that dietary protein goes towards muscle building – the vast majority of the rest of the protein that you’re consuming and recycling in your body is going to other areas; enzymes, hormones, cell structures, bones, hair, nails.”
Many people misunderstand protein because it’s been marketed to us as just being good for muscle building, he says, but it has an important role in many areas of health.
What happens if you don’t eat enough?
“When you don’t eat enough protein, it will start drawing on your biggest source of protein materials – which are your muscles. So you actually get mild muscle breakdown, ” explains Aujla.
“You can tolerate this for a small amount of time, but then you’ll probably end up getting some mild symptoms. It could be breaking your hair, brittle nails, lack of energy and fatigue [or] frailty, particularly as we get older. And all these things coalesce into generally feeling not your best.”
Meanwhile, consuming enough protein can help you feel fuller for longer and therefore help you maintain a healthy weight.
Do we need more protein as we age?
“You need more protein as you get older,” stresses Aujla, for a number of reasons. “Reason one is your appetite tends to go down, so the amount of energy you consume through food tends to reduce. And so overall, you’re not consuming enough protein.
Secondly, “If you were to consume enough protein, your digestive system doesn’t work as well, so you’re not absorbing enough proteins from the diet.”
And finally, “Even your response to proteins reduces when you’re above a certain age, around 50 years old, you experience something called anabolic resistance. It’s essentially where your muscles don’t respond to dietary protein in the same way they would do if you’re in your 20s and 30s. So you actually need to consume more protein to have the same desired effect on your muscles and your general health.”
We get more frail as we get older too, he notes, because inflammation sets in, we’re at a higher risk of metabolic disease and type-2 diabetes, our cancer rates go up – “Everything doesn’t work as optimally as it should,” he says. “We see sarcopenia – where the rate of muscle loss increases and this leads to a whole cascade of issues, like frailty.
“Having enough protein in your diet mitigates against this expected loss of muscle in older age and if you couple that with some resistance training, you can further mitigate against that.”
Is it possible to consume too much protein?
“It’s very hard to,” says Aujla, “You’ve got to be really motivated, like a bodybuilder, to get too much protein into your diet, but it is possible. But even if you were to do that, your body is really efficient at excreting any excess proteins. It gets broken down to the amino acids. Your body is like ‘we don’t need it’ and it goes out via urine and stools.”
Consuming a lot of fatty animal protein can be a problem though, he notes, for example rib-eye steak, chicken thighs with the skin on or processed meats like sausages and chorizo. “Because you’re getting a lot of saturated fat as well as the high -protein animal-based product,” he says.
“Whilst [your body] will be able to get rid of the protein, if you’re consuming a lot of energy in the form of saturated fat, that puts you at high risk of cardiovascular disease. We know that high amounts of saturated fat in the diet is associated – or causative – of high amounts of cholesterol, and that can lead to dementia as well as heart attacks.”
So the quality of the protein we consume definitely matters.
What’s a healthy way to eat it?
Aujla says he leans towards eating lean meats and plant-based sources of protein, because “they have added benefits beyond just the protein”.
While animal sources will give you protein and some B vitamins, those can be sourced from plants too.
Variety is the strategy here. So instead of just having red meat as your sole source of protein. Think fish, oily fish, plant-based proteins like tofu and tempeh, lean chicken, lean beef – these are things you can absolutely have are part of a healthy diet. You want to combine all these different foods throughout your week with plant-based proteins.
His new book includes the likes of za’atar and tahini beans with crispy tofu, spicy thyme lentil coconut curry, and frozen yogurt, peanut and berry ‘bark’, alongside lean meat and fish options including, masala sea bass nuggets and takeaway-style chicken.
Aujla’s Italian mother -in-law even approves of his tofu, mushroom and walnut lasagne. “She’s making it all the time now with tofu, which was sacrilegious.”
Some studies that show that if you have more plant-based proteins into your diet, you live longer and you’re at lower risk of different conditions, he notes.
Adding a variety of nuts and seeds to your diet is a really easy way to bolster your plant-based protein – peanuts are particularly high in it. “Peanuts are 10 grams [of protein per handful]; walnuts or almonds are seven or eight grams,” Aujla says.
Put hemp seeds into salads and smoothies, or use in the base of a curry, he suggests. Or add a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter into a Thai curry with coconut milk: “It adds a depth of flavour of the sauce and a lovely texture, but a good amount of protein as well.
“Edamame beans, that you can get frozen and can be thrown into casseroles, have got around 15 grams [of protein] per 100 grams, as well as tons of fibre.”
Are protein shakes OK?
Some have a lot of ingredients added to them, including emulsifiers, additives, gums and sweeteners, on top of the whey protein, Aujla warns – and are going to “negatively impact your gut health”.
“Particularly because they are marketed as daily drinks so you’re getting a daily dose of ultra-processed food.”
If you are going to take them, he suggests the unflavoured, single-ingredient whey protein is better (although, still processed) and to make the shake with whole ingredients, like banana or milk. There are also plant-based varieties made from a blend of pea, soy, corn and rice, which can be “equally effective”, he says.
“I personally don’t rely on these every single day. I think it’s always better to get from whole food, but as a convenient option when you’re in between meals, or you may be struggling to get your protein requirements in.
“Whilst we recognise the need for high-protein diets, it has to be holistically healthy, which has to be encompassing of your gut and overall inflammation levels.”
Healthy High Protein by Dr Rupy Aujla, is published by Ebury Press. Photography by Andrew Burton. Available now
