You may have seen your neighbor or co-worker running around with a shaker or jar full of an opaque-looking drink. More likely than not, it’s a protein shake, and they could be drinking it for any number of reasons.If you’ve never had one, you may be wondering: Are protein shakes good for you?
Here’s what to know.
How healthy are protein shakes?
Protein can help build and maintain muscle and may even help you stay slim, and protein shakes can be a useful way to boost your protein intake as part of a balanced diet.
Dozens of studies have shown that getting adequate amounts of protein can help with satiety. And some research has found that getting more than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) can actually help with weight loss while preserving muscle mass and can even help lower triglycerides.
Most Americans are not short on protein. The average American diet provides adequate amounts of protein and certainly meets the RDA’s 10% of calories from protein. But the RDA is set to meet basic nutritional requirements as opposed to getting optimal levels. While the minimum is 10%, the guidelines actually allow for up to 35% of calories to come from protein. For an average person eating a 2,000 calorie diet, this would mean a range of 50 to 175 grams of daily protein.
Protein shakes and weight loss
For people who have struggled with regaining weight after losing it, some research shows that eating a higher protein diet may help mitigate the amount of weight regained over time, and protein shakes can help you boost your protein intake. And if you replace your meals with protein shakes, that may lower your daily calories.
However, once you start return to full meals instead of protein shakes, you’re likely to gain weight back. So your best bet for using protein shakes for weight loss is too make sure you’re not consuming more calories than you’re burning and use them as a way to boost your protein intake if desired, per Mayo Clinic.
When should you drink protein…
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