The Whole Truth | The protein fix

Cottage cheese. (Photos via Pexels)

Note to readers: The Whole Truth is a fortnightly column that helps you make sense of the new age of wellness

Why is the search for and debates around protein the most widespread concern of wellness hacks as well as heath and nutrition scientists?

The metabolic rate of wellness trends is staggering. As soon as you start swallowing spoons-full of olive oil spiked with cayenne pepper powder to soothe that umbrella disease, inflammation, which functional medics are calling the root cause of all diseases, that trend gives way to the new remedy for inflammation, which also works as an antidote to anxiety: Ashwagandha. Wait, this is long after celery juice, which, some wellness hacks now conclude, is not much more than plain H2O.

In India, a lot of wellness solutions hark back to more sophisticated versions of traditional Ayurvedic medicines, yoga and fitness. And it’s a blessing we are still happy with some basics. This month, globally, the rise of Ozempic and other similar drugs invented for treating diabetes and now being repurposed as an anti-obesity medicine, is sparking controversies. Ozempic cuts “food noise”, the incessant chatter in our minds about eating food we find comforting or delicious, and in the process reduces hunger pangs and also radically reduces our body’s muscle mass.

But among the trends that have sustained and has a progressive graph in research, invention as well as consumption is novel proteins. The world is currently nuts about novel proteins, and the quest for new forms of protein that are not animal proteins continue. Protein and energy bars are available in kirana stores, but most brands are glorified versions of popular chocolate bars. “Protein breads” come at a higher MRP than wholewheat or white bread, and usually have high quantities refined flour in them. New breakthroughs are imminent. Novel protein start-ups and companies in India are repurposing insulin and rennet, used to coagulate milk into cheese by a process that utilises techniques of genetic engineering and precision fermentation, to make milk, egg-white and other edible proteins, including lactoferrin, a key component of human breast milk. This year, cottage cheese (chhena) — close to the Indian paneer in taste but quite different in consistency and texture (the paneer is more solid and has a bite) — has been hailed as the perfect dairy protein, a half cup containing roughly the same amount of protein as three eggs.

Raw-food veganism has been revealed to be what it is: dangerously low on nutrition and energy for human sustenance. And the death of 39-year-old Russian raw vegan diet influencer Zhana Samsonova of malnutrition puts the spotlight back on extreme diet fads and their impact on immunity, strength and nerve functions of the human body. Samsonova lied on a diet of “fruits, sunflower seed sprouts, fruit smoothies, and juices” for months in her attempt to be Earth-friendly.

Any nutritionist with experience and updated on the latest research around dietary evolutions of the longevity-conscious world would tell you what generations have believed to be true: Nothing in excess serves you well; everything in moderation is okay. And they all agree that protein is the fundamental building block of our complex cellular structure. The books of all famous Indian nutritionists, including Rujuta Diwekar, Luke Coutinho, Pooja Makhija, Ishi Khosla and Sonali Sabharwal emphasise on the body’s need for good proteins to stay away from illness and live long healthy. Celebrated food researcher and nutritionist Mark Hyman writes in his new book Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life (2023) that for intermittent fasting to work best, it is important to break fasts with protein because protein activates our stem cells, creates muscle synthesis (and) builds our muscle mass, which is critical to healthy longevity and function.

The age of plant protein has peaked in the US, the global hub of all wellness and dietary innovations. Packaged plant proteins contain unhealthy amounts of preservatives and chemical additives. The verdict on whey protein powders came about a couple of years ago: Overconsumption of whey protein can affect heart activity and lead to cardiovascular problems.

The new era of protein promises to be in the form of concentrated, highly potent powders or tablets that will make it easy to be Earth-friendly and vegetarian by choice. Unless, most serious and honest food researcher will tell you, you grow your own chicken and goat and give the poor creatures a healthy, pesticide- and chemical fertiliser-free environment to roam in.