Is More Protein Better for You? Fact-Checking Claims on Social Media

We’re in a protein craze, and it’s hard to ignore.

Walk into any grocery store and you’ll find rows of protein-fortified energy bars, breakfast cereals, baked goods, snacks, even sports drinks. And on social media, influencers — many with medical or scientific degrees in their bios — claim that most people are woefully deficient.

“Ladies, you’re NOT eating enough protein,” Dr. Elie Jarrouge, a doctor in Houston wrote, to his nearly 80,000 followers on Instagram in February. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, another Houston-based physician, said in a recent video on TikTok that the federal recommendations for protein are “totally wrong.”

One of the most well-known protein proponents is Dr. Peter Attia, a physician, podcaster and author who advises and invests in various protein-related food companies. In his best-selling book, “Outlive,” he says that the federal recommendations for protein are “a joke,” suggesting that most healthy and active people should consume nearly three times as much.

In a 2024 survey of 3,000 U.S. adults, 71 percent said they were trying to consume more protein — up from 59 percent in 2022.

So, are the federal recommendations wrong? Would most of us benefit from eating more protein? Or is the obsession just another passing health fad?

The New York Times reviewed dozens of studies and interviewed 12 nutrition scientists, many of whom have been studying protein for decades. All of them agreed that we need more research on the topic, but the science we do have clarifies some of the confusion. Here is a fact-check of six big protein claims we’ve seen.

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