In this episode of One Health Tweak a Week, we zoom out from the protein hype and ask a calmer question: given your age and how you actually eat, how much protein makes sense – and are you anywhere near it?
Everywhere you look, the message is “add more protein”. High-protein labels are slapped on yogurts, cereal, bread, ice cream and snacks; fitness feeds throw around magic numbers like 0.8 g/kg, 120 g a day, 1.6 g/kg for “gains”.
But big national surveys suggest most under-65s are already at around 1.0–1.3 g/kg, and large cohort studies hint that the lowest risk of early death for many adults sits nearer 0.7–0.9 g/kg, not the bodybuilder targets.
We’ll unpack how that picture flips in later life, where the real danger becomes too little protein, muscle loss and falls, and why many older adults quietly slide down to 0.6–0.8 g/kg just as they may need closer to 1.0–1.2 g/kg (if kidneys allow) to stay strong and independent.
Then we’ll walk you through a simple two–three day protein check-up so you can estimate your own intake in g/kg and see, by age band, whether your bigger risk is too little protein, too much, or the wrong kind – and make one calm, age-appropriate tweak instead of chasing the loudest voice online.
