- Published
Twelve-year-old Ben is desperate to try protein powder but there's one hurdle: me, his mum.
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Ben → publish → powder
"I've asked about 20 times and you just keep saying no!", he says, claiming it would make him "fitter and bigger" and that his male friends use it.
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friends → ask → it
Social media is flooded with adverts for various supplements, including protein powder.
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media → flood → powder
As a health journalist, I'm sceptical and think at Ben's age he must be getting enough protein through his diet.
So, do experts think it's safe for pre-teens and teenagers or is a big, juicy steak just as good?
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steak → think → teens
My sport-obsessed son, who already eats a healthy balanced diet, asks me about protein powder on a regular basis.
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who → obsess → basis
His friend Louis, 12, has been using protein powder once or twice a week for nearly a year, after a workout and on top of whole foods.
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friend → use → foods
"I think it's helped, it gives me more energy and it's helped me grow, probably," he says.
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he → think → energy
But Ben's other friend Otis, who is 13, is not keen on the idea and feels there is pressure on young people to take protein supplements.
"
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who → feel → supplements
They might just start using them without thinking about the consequences or what effects it may have on them.
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it → start → them
"
Why do we need protein?
Proteins break down into amino acids that help the body grow and repair.
But your body can't make all the amino acids it needs on its own, so you need to get more - known as essential amino acids - through your diet.
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you → need → diet
For an adult with a healthy weight, the recommended daily amount of protein you should be eating is 0.75 grams per kg of body weight, according to the NHS.
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you → recommend → NHS
A good rule of thumb is that the amount of protein you have for each meal should fit into the palm of your hand.
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you → have → hand
If you exercise a lot, and when you get older, you need more protein so you could have up to 2 grams per kg of body weight.
But do teens really need it if they're eating well?
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they → exercise → it
For teenage boys and girls "you can get all the protein that you need from food alone", says registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine.
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Raine → get → food
It is important that teenage girls, especially, get enough iron and calcium, so Ludlam-Raine says not to become overly focused on protein at the expense of other nutrients.
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Raine → get → nutrients
Protein shakes, powders or bars can be useful for some, including high-level athletes and those who have certain allergies, but they should not replace a healthy diet.
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they → include → diet
Those with pre-existing health conditions should not use it unless they have been told they can by their doctor.
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they → exist → doctor
Ludlam-Raine points out that the protein powder market is not as tightly regulated as medicines.
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market → point → medicines
"Of course, you can get reputable companies who do third-party testing and make sure that what you see on the label is what is in the inside, but that's not always the case," she says.
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she → get → inside
"And ultimately you can't just have a shake and your biceps grow."
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biceps → have → shake
Some protein powders contain high amounts of added sugar, artificial ingredients, and hidden stimulants.
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powders → contain → sugar
He explains that we need micronutrients like zinc, calcium and magnesium, which are found in whole foods.
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which → explain → foods
So, if meals are replaced with protein shakes, those nutrients are lost.
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nutrients → replace → shakes
Experts suggest spreading out protein across the day and aiming for 20-25g per meal.
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Experts → suggest → meal
If you're keen to up your intake, try some of these recipes.
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you → up → recipes
During puberty when children have growth spurts, they do need more protein because their body is growing rapidly, building new muscle and bone mass.
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body → have → muscle
But Mathur says there are risks to eating too much protein.
"
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Mathur → say → protein
If you look at social media, they'll say you need to eat a lot of protein, but your body can handle only so much."
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body → look → much
He explains that if you eat too much, it has to be excreted by the kidneys and liver which can become overloaded.
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which → explain → kidneys
Mathur explains: "We had a child here at the hospital where I work - he was taking so much protein that his kidneys just stopped working and he actually passed away."
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he → explain → protein
The key takeaway from Mathur: "If a 12-year-old child is eating a healthy balanced diet then they shouldn't need any more protein."
Ludlam-Raine's advice is to get teens to improve their diet first before taking any protein powder, especially regularly.
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teens → eat → powder
If they still want to use it, speak to a registered dietitian or nutritionist first.
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they → want → dietitian
Now off I go to tell my son the answer is still no - and the experts say the same.
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experts → go → same
The Aporia
