Protein-rich diets have been popular for a while. Everything from chocolate bars to ice cream is emblazoned with the promise of ‘high protein’. Influencers and media outlets seem to rave about the weight loss and muscle building potential of eating a lot of protein.
But when it’s added as an extra ingredient, along with additives, emulsifiers and sugar - is it really helping our muscles grow?
Today, Dr. Federica Amati - Head Nutritionist at ZOE - explains the simple truth about protein bars and shakes, cutting through the marketing noise to find out how useful these products are for you.
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Timecodes
00:00 Are protein shakes worth it?
01:30 What is protein?
02:59 The liver's surprising role
03:32 Why do we need protein?
05:01 You probably don’t need more protein
07:30 Can I get enough protein from plants?
09:15 The protein supplement explosion
11:20 Are protein bars ultra processed?
15:30 Does extra protein promote weight loss?
17:33 Should I drink protein shakes?

Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector


Mentioned in today's episode


Dietary protein: an essential nutrient for bone health (2005), published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition 


Amino acids and immune function (2007), published in British Journal of Nutrition


A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults (2017), published in British Journal of Sports Medicine


Is It Time to Reconsider the U.S. Recommendations for Dietary Protein and Amino Acid Intake? (2023), published in Nutrients


The hidden dangers of protein powders (2022), published by Harvard Medical School, Staying Healthy blog


Gut microbiota role in dietary protein metabolism and health-related outcomes: The two sides of the coin (2016), published by Trends in Food Science and Technology


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Episode transcripts are available here.