Protein-enriched foods, especially yogurts, mousses or puddings, have become fashionable in recent times. We already find them from numerous brands and in a large number of supermarkets, so that many consumers wonder if it is really worth consuming that extra protein to have a healthy and balanced diet. The answer, a priori, in the case of healthy adults with a normal weight, would be no. "In principle, if we eat a varied and balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes and ensuring the consumption of protein sources such as meat, eggs, and fish, our body will have the necessary nutrients without having to resort to products enriched”, explains nutritionist Susana León.
For his part, nutritionist Sergi Rovira, from Biufood, a consultancy aimed at promoting well-being through different activities to promote health and good eating habits in companies and the population, questions the need to consume an extra protein in the general population: “There is no doubt that protein is a fundamental macronutrient for numerous functions of the body, but precisely in Western diets, there is a tendency to consume it in excess, as shown by numerous studies. For this reason, beyond particular cases, it would not make much sense to take an extra”.
This is confirmed by the scientific study ANIBES (Anthropometry, Intake and Energy Balance in Spain), carried out by the Spanish Nutrition Federation, which analyzes the different energy sources of the Spanish population. The research indicates that protein consumption corresponds to 16.8% of total intake (16.7% in men and 17.0% in women), a percentage clearly higher than the limit recommended by EFSA, which stands at the 15 %. In addition, all age groups present in the study showed a high protein intake in relation to daily energy intake.
Given these data, Rovira insists that "except for exceptional cases, it is more than possible to easily obtain the necessary proteins for the body, without having to resort to these foods", which are also more expensive and can sometimes contain extra sugars. or added sweeteners to make them more palatable.
To understand the boom in these foods, you first have to answer what proteins are and how they work in the body. The specialist in Nutrition and Dietetics at Quirónsalud Zaragoza, Ignacio Lillo, sums it up: “Protein is a satiating macronutrient, which prevents muscle loss in case of hypocaloric diets and can increase it together with exercise (preferably strength). And that the body does not pass to triglyceride or body fat if there is an excess in the daily intake, as it happens with the other two macronutrients: carbohydrates and fats”.
The etymology of the term already explains, according to Lillo, how the protein acts in the organism, since it comes from the Greek proteios, which means main or primary. “We need to synthesize human protein every day, like walls to repair our building (the body). For this reason, we must ingest proteins of high biological value on a daily basis, which is the name we give to those that have all the amino acids or 'bricks', so that we can make human protein. If even one of these 20 different amino acids is missing, we cannot make human protein, which is totally limiting. The body is forced to catabolize or break down muscle (protein reserve), to release the missing amino acids into the bloodstream and repair vital organs, but at the cost of losing muscle mass, which is not desirable, unless we are in times of scarcity such as wars and famines, where there is no other option and the body tries to survive”, sums up the specialist.
Despite the fact that until a few years ago not much had been said about muscle mass, numerous relatively recent studies place it as a very important indicator of health, comparable in importance to cholesterol and blood pressure. According to a study published in the Annals of Medicine, having low muscle mass can increase the risk of surgical and postoperative complications, can lead to a poorer quality of life and poorer survival rates. The research also points out that "muscle mass should be seen as a new vital sign, so that if health professionals identify and treat low muscle mass they can help significantly improve the health of their patients."
Another piece of research, this time published in The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, points out that a person's muscle mass is a much better indicator of health than the classic Body Mass Index (BMI). This can be measured through the so-called bioimpedance scales, "which give estimated data on the percentage of body fat and estimated kilos of muscle mass." To a clinical eye –continues the nutritionist– “if you go to the pool or the beach and see a person with strong arms and legs and a low abdominal circumference (half their height, for example) this person will have good muscle mass. If, on the other hand, we observe a person with thin arms and legs like wires and a large abdominal circumference, his muscle mass in relation to his weight will be low ”.
Numerous studies indicate that, in addition to guaranteeing a correct consumption of proteins (which can feed muscle mass), it is necessary to accompany this intake with the regular practice of physical strength exercise. The expert coach in healthy habits, Natàlia Calvet, points out that “more and more importance is given to muscle mass, since it has a fundamental structural and metabolic function for the body to function. In this sense, if we have to choose between strength and cardiovascular training, the ideal is to always prioritize strength, although it is best to combine both”, explains Calvet.
It must be borne in mind that to obtain the amount of protein our muscles need, it is best to resort to certain foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet and that we have at our fingertips. “The foods with the highest biological value proteins after breast milk are, in this order, eggs, meat and fish (including shellfish), dairy products, legumes (the pea is very interesting), nuts (better roasted) and seeds like chia.
As for yogurts, Lillo qualifies that they can be interesting as substitutes for other less healthy ones with similar organoleptic characteristics, such as chocolate cups or custards. “I can eat a vanilla-flavored yogurt rich in protein and the truth is that sensory analysis in a tasting is practically like eating custard. But the difference is that the yogurt will only have 5 grams of sugar, naturally present in milk, and the custard will have 30 grams of added sugar, so the difference is notable from a nutritional point of view”, Explain.
The doctor and nutritionist Nuria Monfulleda, from the Loveyourself center in Barcelona, has the same opinion, who points out that "taking into account that an enriched yoghurt contains about four times more protein than a normal yoghurt (they usually have about 10-15 g of protein per 125 g, while a normal yogurt has 4-5 g), they are recommended desserts, which can also be interesting to eat mid-morning or at snack time, when the body asks us for something sweet and perhaps we do not feel like an egg, cheese, ham or other sources of protein. Taking into account that they are also dense and satiating foods, they will make us arrive less hungry for the next meal and, therefore, they can help maintain weight ”.
This does not mean that everyone should take them, but rather that their consumption should always be personalized, based on daily physical activity and what the diet is like, among other factors. “There is a maxim that must be followed in food, which is that we must try to eat the foods that we like. Trying to forcefully consume something we don't like can be counterproductive, since it will be very difficult to integrate that habit. If the consumption of these foods works for us, because there are no sweet proteins, they may be a good idea for certain occasions, but if we do not like dairy products or we want to moderate their consumption, they will not be necessary under any circumstances”, explains Monfulleda.
For Lillo, for his part, this type of dessert can be interesting in certain cases to eat once a week, "as a reward", but never a product for daily consumption, since it is preferable to opt for other desserts such as be “a natural or natural Greek yogurt with fruits and nuts, since being such hyperpalatable foods they will not educate the taste buds to enjoy the natural sweetness of natural foods, so that they will foster the drive for unhealthy hyperpalatable products classics”.
