High-protein diet misunderstanding: Eating enough is more important than eating too much, and patients with kidney disease need to make individual adjustments

2026/10/06 06:24

Middle-aged and elderly people may wish to arrange a clear source of protein for each meal, such as fish, eggs, chicken, etc. A palm-sized portion of fish, meat or tofu can provide approximately 20-30g of protein as a daily estimate; the picture is a situational photo. (Picture taken from freepik)

[Health Channel/Comprehensive Report] High-protein foods are in the spotlight, and many people think that the more protein they eat, the better they can build muscles. Shen Mingzhong, a rheumatologist and immunologist, points out that the key to protein is not to "eat desperately", but to eat enough, eat it right, and come from a variety of sources; fish, meat, and soy products can all provide protein. For middle-aged and elderly people who want to maintain muscle mass, about 1.2-1.6g/kg per day can be used as a practical reference. A palm-sized piece of meat or tofu can provide 20-30g of protein per meal. He reminded that people with abnormal kidney function cannot apply the recommendations of general fitness groups on their own and should make adjustments based on their kidney function.

Shen Mingzhong shared in a Facebook post that "high protein" has almost become a keyword for healthy diet in recent years. High-protein milk, high-protein coffee, high-protein biscuits, and even potato chips can all be added with protein. Therefore, people inevitably have questions such as "Is eating more protein better?" and "Will eating too much protein damage the kidneys?"

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Shen Mingzhong said that a study showed that when the daily protein intake reaches about 1.5-1.6 g/kg, for most people, if it continues to increase, the additional benefits of increasing muscle and strength will gradually become limited. So the point is not to pursue "the maximum amount you can eat in a day", but to first determine whether you have eaten enough. It should be noted that for people who are doing resistance training, increasing protein does help muscle synthesis and recovery, but it is by no means an unlimited increase.

Quality of protein is as important as quantity

Shen Mingzhong mentioned that protein sources are equally important. Fish, eggs, dairy products, meat, and soy products can all provide protein; plant-based proteins can also provide complete nutrition, but the amino acid composition and digestibility of different plants vary, so it is recommended to diversify protein sources.

He also bluntly said that don’t just look at the “grams of protein” on food packaging. Even if the protein content of 1 cup of sugar-free yogurt, 1 egg, 1 serving of fish, and a pack of biscuits with added protein powder is the same, the overall nutritional value may still be different. The words "high protein" do not automatically turn ultra-processed foods into healthy foods.

Pay attention to protein intake in chronic kidney disease

Shen Mingzhong said that when protein intake increases, the filtration load of the kidneys will indeed increase, but current research does not support that healthy adults eating a higher protein diet will definitely cause kidney damage. However, those with chronic kidney disease, proteinuria, or abnormal renal function cannot apply the general fitness or weight loss recommendations on their own. They should make adjustments based on kidney function, disease stage, and whether they receive dialysis.

Middle-aged and elderly people should pay more attention to muscles

Shen Mingzhong reminded that as age increases, the muscle's response to protein stimulation will decrease, which is the so-called "anabolic resistance". Therefore, if middle-aged and elderly people eat less, are not active enough, are sick, or stay in bed for a long time, their muscle loss may be faster. If the goal is to maintain muscle, healthy aging, lose fat, or exercise regularly, you can use approximately 1.2–1.6 g/kg per day as a practical reference range, and then adjust it based on age, activity level, total calories, and health status.

If you don’t want to use the computer to calculate protein every day, Shen Mingzhong suggests that you might as well arrange a clear source of protein for each meal, such as fish, eggs, chicken, tofu, beans or dairy products; a palm-sized portion of fish, meat or tofu can provide approximately 20-30 g of protein, which can be used as a daily estimate.