We Westerners on average eat far more protein than we need. The maximum required, according to leading health bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO), is only around eight per cent of our energy (calories) from protein (Hegsted, 1968; Irwin and Hegsted,1975; Scrimshaw, 1976; COMA, 1991). Even this value includes a large safety margin, so most people’s real needs are even lower. Put simply, you practically have to be starving to be protein deficient, so it is ironic that we worry about this in our culture of plenty.

The maximum recommended intake of protein is only 8% of our energy, and most people's real needs are even lower, making it ironic that we worry about protein deficiency in our culture of plenty.

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How much protein do we need

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