Does Too Much Protein Make You Age Faster?

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Today’s Health Upgrade

Longevity
Is Protein Making You Age Faster?

Some corners of the internet suggest that the protein you eat to stay strong could also make you age faster. It makes an ordinary meal sound like a choice between keeping your muscles and protecting your future health.

A new human trial gives you little reason to make that tradeoff. Cutting protein in half did not improve the cellular cleanup process linked to anti-aging.

That cellular cleanup process is called autophagy. It helps cells recycle worn-out material, and animal research suggests restricting protein can stimulate it and, in some cases, extend life. 

But that doesn’t establish that eating less protein helps people live longer.

To test part of that theory, researchers enrolled healthy adults in a trial comparing diets with 20% versus 10% of calories from protein. Each diet lasted four weeks, with calories intended to stay the same. 

The lower-protein diet didn’t increase autophagy in immune cells. Weight and estimated muscle mass fell slightly, while body fat didn’t change. Blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, and grip strength also didn't change. 

To be fair, this was four weeks in younger adults, measuring blood cells rather than muscle or brain. It cannot settle questions about lifespan or fasting. 

But the idea that a protein-rich meal shuts down cellular cleanup is harder to support than the warnings suggest.

Not to mention, a 30-year review of more than 48,000 people found that prioritizing protein improves aging.

For everyday eating, keep protein moderate and include it in your regular meals. Research suggests eating between 1.6 g/kg to 2.2g/kg of your goal body weight if you’re active, or as low as 1.2g/kg if you’re inactive. 

Treat those as guides, with no obligation to hit the upper end. Include a protein source at each meal, leave room for other foods, and avoid turning a few grams above or below your target into another thing to worry about.

Together With Momentous
When “No More Bloating” Is More Than Marketing

Ask people why they don’t eat more fiber, and some will say, “I don’t know where to find it,” but many more will insist they know it’s important, but “it makes me bloated.” 

If you’re swearing off the benefits of fiber (and there are a lot) out of fear of unwanted gas or stomach issues, choosing the right type could change your mind.

Researchers found that a particular type of resistant starch might be a more gut-friendly way to get your fiber without some of the unwanted side effects. 

In a new trial, researchers found no meaningful increase in bloating, gas, or digestive discomfort.

For four weeks, healthy adults took either 3.5 grams of Solnul, which provides about 2 grams of resistant starch from potato starch. Their symptom questionnaires showed no significant changes. 

In fact, the only bloating complaints investigators considered possibly related to the products came from the placebo group.

The case for improving gut health was mixed. The study didn’t find the hoped-for increase in Akkermansia, a type of gut bacteria, compared with placebo. 

On the positive side, another group of helpful bacteria (Bifidobacteria) increased, and more bowel movements were normal in consistency. 

Resistant starch might be a better fit for your gut because of how the body breaks it down and digests it. 

For example, inulin, a fiber added to many foods and supplements, breaks down quickly and can produce a rush of gas. Resistant starch can take longer. In one small study, resistant starch from corn produced roughly a quarter as much breath hydrogen per gram as inulin. That helps explain why fibers can feel different in your stomach, although it doesn’t prove potato starch will be comfortable for everyone.

Psyllium husk is another option, especially if constipation is the problem. Bacteria barely break it down, so it produces little gas. It absorbs water and forms a gel, which is why multiple studies have found that it helps lower LDL cholesterol.

Psyllium may also make other fibers easier to tolerate. In a small trial in people with IBS, adding psyllium to a large dose of inulin reduced gas in the colon to levels that weren’t significantly different from placebo. 

As with most nutrition advice, try to build your diet around whole foods. For fiber that’s easier on your gut, you can get resistant starch from cooked-then-cooled potatoes, rice, or pasta. You'll also find it in slightly green bananas, overnight oats, and small portions of canned, rinsed lentils or chickpeas. Other good options include kiwi, chia, berries, quinoa, and potatoes. 

If you want the easy button for your fiber needs without any stomach issues, go with Fiber+. We spent years formulating this easy-to-take, multi-source fiber blend to give you all the benefits of fiber without the gas, bloating, or discomfort. 

Fiber isn’t one nutrient doing one job. Different types do very different things in your body, and Fiber+ gives each one a seat.

Resistant starch feeds your gut with Solnul, the same resistant potato starch from the research above.

Psyllium supports heart health, cholesterol, blood sugar, and regularity. And rice bran hull adds bulk and speeds transit, the old-school job fiber has always done well.

And here’s why it matters for you: A Lancet review of 185 prospective studies and 58 clinical trials found that people eating the most fiber had 15 to 30% lower rates of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and early death. The benefits showed up around 25 grams a day. Most people get about half that.

Fiber+ won’t replace your potatoes, berries, and beans. But it will make sure you get what your body needs, while working with your body.

APC readers get 35% off a subscription (or 14% off a one-time purchase) with the code PUMPCLUB. Click here to get yours. 

Community 
Train With Ketch

We’ve never done this before for newsletter subscribers.

Pump Club app members are familiar with follow-along workouts. But if you’re up early today, you can join Co-CEO Daniel Ketchell as he starts the new Short On Time Foundation Program. 

We shared the first workout in yesterday’s email if you want to follow along or try it yourself. 

Or just show up, say hi, or say nothing at all and observe. 

If nothing else, you’ll learn some Pump Club principles like “first set mindset,” how to get the most out of every set, and why you don’t need more than 30 minutes for a great workout.

Ketch and his wife welcomed their third child last week, and he’ll follow the Short On Time Foundation program to keep getting better, even though his time is compressed, sleep is compromised, and life is a little more complicated. 

The workout starts at 5 am PST, and you can join and watch here. 

Mindset
When “Find Your Purpose” Feels Like Too Much to Ask

“Find your purpose” is a big assignment when you’re already trying to get through the week.

We write a lot about the value of having a direction in life. But that advice deserves some breathing room, especially if it leaves you feeling like you need to figure out your future before you can feel good about the life you have.

Research suggests that appreciating everyday experiences can help life feel more meaningful, even beyond knowing your purpose.

Researchers have traditionally focused on three sources of meaning: feeling that your life makes sense, having something to work toward, and believing that your existence matters. That last one appears especially important.

Scientists examined whether appreciating experiences as they happen also influences your overall happiness. One study included more than 11,000 adults across 30 countries. 

People who appreciated their experiences tended to rate their lives as more meaningful, even after researchers accounted for their mood and those other sources of meaning. 

The evidence is more consistent for how people view their lives overall than for how appreciation works from day to day.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t also get a temporary boost. Watching awe-inspiring nature footage or writing about a valued experience increased people’s sense of meaning in the moment.

In fairness, it doesn’t create the same kind of lasting change as the other three ways to establish meaning. 

Still, it offers something manageable to try. At some point today, choose a moment you enjoy and give it some extra attention. Put your phone aside during dinner and notice the food, or listen to a favorite part of a song without doing something else. Notice what makes that experience worth having, and appreciate what you love about it. 

The Positive Corner of The Internet
About Arnold’s Pump Club Editorial Standards

We do things a bit differently here, starting with transparency.

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell