PROTEIN HERE, PROTEIN there, protein… everywhere .

‘It seems as though almost everyone is talking about a high-protein diet , and the food manufacturers are responding to the trend,’ says Maelee Wells Sutton, R.D.N., C.P.T.

With protein’s plethora of research backed health benefits, there seems to be a good reason for society’s collective obsession with protein. That benefit is universal, regardless of who you are and what your goals are. It’s vital to muscle building . It’s great for individuals striving to lose weight , as eating a diet with above government-recommended protein intake has been seen to increase loss of fat mass and decrease loss of muscle mass. Its even been associated with a reduction of various aging measurements . And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Ahead, learn more about the benefits of a high-protein diet and savvy ways to add more protein to your plate. What exactly is a high-protein diet?

Protein is found in your muscles, bones, skin, hair, and other parts of your body, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health . It helps fuel several chemical reactions in your body, including powering the haemoglobin that moves oxygen in your blood.

So, consuming protein is good for you, but defining what’s considered “high protein” is tricky, Kris Sollid, R.D., senior director of nutrition communications at IFIC, says. Arx0nt//Getty Images ‘For example, some protein recommendations are based on the percentage of calories in a diet that comes from protein,’ he says. ‘Other protein recommendations are based on body weight.’

Most experts agree that at very least adults should get 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight each day.

Consuming any amount over that recommendation would be considered a high-protein diet, Leah Silberman, R.D. , a registered dietitian at Medical Offices of Manhattan , says.

Here’s what a high-protein diet can look like: High Protein Based on Body Weight One high-protein rule for the average person is 1.2 grams or more of protein per kilogram of body weight, Sollid says. If you do intense workouts and weight training, you could up your protein to […]

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