Do you bust your stomach at the gym every week and eat better than ever, only to find that the numbers on the scale don’t change?
The “healthy” snacks you’re eating to improve your results could be to blame.
Spanish scientists have warned that often foods marketed as high in protein, such as cereal bars and yogurt substitutes, are actually full of fat.
They are said to strengthen and make muscles resilient, but in reality they may be causing consumers to accumulate extra and unwanted pounds.
The researchers, who analyzed more than 500 products, found that only one in ten could be classified as healthy.
More than a quarter were high in free sugars (sugars added to foods and drinks that can make you feel hungry) and saturated fats, while a fifth contained sweeteners.
“Consumers attribute healthy properties to foods with protein properties,” said scientists at the Miguel Hernández University of Elche, in southeastern Spain.
‘This perception is incorrect. Consumers may not be aware of the high health risk posed by other nutrients present in protein foods.
Spanish scientists have warned that often foods marketed as high in protein, such as cereal bars and yogurt substitutes, are actually full of fat and salt.
The UK is already one of the largest added protein markets in Europe, with sales worth almost £640 million in 2020 alone.
According to analysis by the charity Green Alliance, the UK protein industry could be worth £6.8bn a year by 2035.
In the study, scientists examined the protein properties of 561 products, including plant-based meat alternatives (68.2 percent), bars (35.3 percent), and protein-rich yogurts or dairy desserts (21.3 percent). ).
About 90.8 percent were classified as “less healthy” according to the “Nutrient Profile Model” endorsed by the World Health Organization.
This is a scoring system in which points are assigned based on nutritional content.
They also found that protein bars were lower in carbohydrates but contained 48 percent more saturated fat.
Eating too much saturated fat can cause you to gain weight.
Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fat, can also raise cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease.
Protein-rich products are said to strengthen and strengthen muscles, but in reality they may be causing consumers to accumulate extra and unwanted kilos.
The Nova system, developed by scientists in Brazil more than a decade ago, divides foods into four groups based on the amount of processing they have gone through. Unprocessed foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, and meat. Processed culinary ingredients, which are not typically eaten alone, include oils, butter, sugar, and salt.
Milk and dairy drinks contained a lower amount of total and saturated fat, and yogurts and fermented milks contained a lower amount of carbohydrates and sugar.
But milk substitutes with protein properties contained more total fat compared to those without protein, the researchers noted.
While these foods may be helpful for certain groups who need to increase their protein intake, such as the elderly, “foods that contain protein are not healthy,” they concluded.
“This is especially serious because consumers are often unaware of this risk and instead perceive these foods as healthy.”
Consumers should first check the nutritional content and ingredients list of any protein-packed product before purchasing it, they added.
It comes amid the growing popularity of high-protein diets linked to the rise of gym culture.
Fitness and nutrition experts still disagree on the optimal amount of protein to consume daily, but medical authorities say you should aim for approximately 0.75 gram serving per kilogram of body weight.
For the average British woman, this is 45g and for men, 55g – about two servings of meat, fish, nuts or tofu per day.
According to the British Heart Foundation, a serving of protein should fit in the palm of your hand.
Many Britons, however, already exceed their daily protein intake.