The life-saving number most people get all WRONG

It never fails—people are always shocked when I tell them how much protein I eat… and how much they should be eating, too.

My consistent advice is this: eat 1 gram (g) of protein per pound (lb) of body weight every day. On exercise days, increase your intake to 1.5 g/lb.

Now, there are a few caveats…

You should eat more protein if you need to gain weight—or slightly less if you’re trying to slim down. And you should always seek personalized nutritional advice if you have underlying kidney disease.

But let’s clear up the confusion: for most people, your protein intake shouldn’t decrease as you age.

In fact, getting enough protein could quite literally save your life.

The minimum isn’t optimal

The U.S. government’s recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is only 0.8 g/kg (grams per kilogram) of body weight per day. That works out to just 0.36 g/lb—barely enough to avoid deficiency, let alone support strength, mobility, or longevity!

In other words, like most dietary recommendations, it’s far too low to provide optimal benefits. But you don’t have to take my word for it…

Just look at all the evidence that shows higher protein intake, especially when paired with strength training, leads to significantly greater fat loss, more lean muscle gain, and overall better outcomes as we age.

In one small weight-loss study that involved young men, researchers compared two groups: one consumed 1.2 g/kg of protein and the other 2.4 g/kg.

Ultimately, the group who ate more protein lost more fat (10.6 lb versus 7.7 lb) and gained more muscle (2.6 lb versus 0.2 lb)—despite eating more calories overall!

Why? Because protein boosts your metabolism more than carbs or fat.

You need more as you age

Let’s not mince words: Protein isn’t just for weight loss. It’s also essential for maintaining muscle mass and strength as you age.

In fact, in another study in older adults (with no weight-loss goal), researchers found that consuming 1.3 g/kg of protein helped participants gain 2.8 lb of lean muscle mass.

Meanwhile, those who ate just 1.0 g/kg lost 0.6 lb—despite the same strength-training regimen.

Plus, a meta-analysis across multiple studies determined that 1.6 g/kg of protein per day is the optimal target to maximize muscle mass gains.

That’s roughly 0.73 g/lb—almost double the standard RDA and just shy of my usual recommendation.

Bottom line? If you want to maintain or build lean muscle—especially as you age—you NEED more protein than conventional guidelines recommend.

And if you’re strength training (which you should be), you need even more.

So, stop skimping on the protein. Increase your intake—and watch your health soar.

Learn more about why you need more protein at any age, no matter your weight, in the November 2021 issue of my monthly newsletter Logical Health Alternatives (“Grow SUPER MUSCLES with THIS type of health food”). Click here now!

Source:

“How to Educate Patients on Protein Needs During Weight Loss.” Medscape, 05/15/2025. (medscape.com/viewarticle/how-educate-patients-protein-needs-during-weight-loss-2025a1000bbx)