Overview
- The new recommendation replaces the old 0.8 g/kg baseline, even as analyses show many U.S. adults already average about 1.2–1.4 g/kg per day.
- Protein needs vary by age, activity and health status, with older adults benefiting from modestly higher intakes and regularly active people often advised to aim for roughly 1.4–2 g/kg.
- Researchers report mixed outcomes from higher-protein diets, including greater weight loss but higher risks of bone-density loss and kidney stones, and there is no agreed-upon upper limit.
- One study suggests excess leucine at intakes near 22% of calories (about 1.6 g/kg) could raise cardiovascular risk signals, reinforcing calls to pair protein increases with training and overall diet quality.
- Guidance stresses distributing 20–40 grams per meal, diversifying sources to include fish and plant proteins, maintaining fiber intake, and using protein powders cautiously with third-party testing, especially for those with kidney disease.