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I'm 12 and I want to try protein powder - should I? - Published Twelve-year-old Ben is desperate to try protein powder but there's one hurdle: me, his mum. "I've asked about 20 times and you just keep saying no!", he says, claiming it would make him "fitter and bigger" and that his male friends use it. In recent years, there's been an explosion of products marketed as "high protein", including milk, yoghurt, breads, cereals, bars and powders. Social media is flooded with adverts for various supplements, including protein powder. As a health journalist, I'm sceptical and think at Ben's age he must be getting enough protein through his diet. So, do experts think it's safe for pre-teens and teenagers or is a big, juicy steak just as good? My sport-obsessed son, who already eats a healthy balanced diet, asks me about protein powder on a regular basis. His friend Louis, 12, has been using protein powder once or twice a week for nearly a year, after a workout and on top of whole foods. His parents are aware of this. "I think it's helped, it gives me more energy and it's helped me grow, probably," he says. But Ben's other friend Otis, who is 13, is not keen on the idea and feels there is pressure on young people to take protein supplements. "They might just start using them without thinking about the consequences or what effects it may have on them." Why do we need protein? Proteins break down into amino acids that help the body grow and repair. But your body can't make all the amino acids it needs on its own, so you need to get more - known as essential amino acids - through your diet. For an adult with a healthy weight, the recommended daily amount of protein you should be eating is 0.75 grams per kg of body weight, according to the NHS. A good rule of thumb is that the amount of protein you have for each meal should fit into the palm of your hand. If you exercise a lot, and when you get older, you need more protein so you could have up to 2 grams per kg of body weight. But do teens really need it if they're eating well? For teenage boys and girls "you can get all the protein that you need from food alone", says registered dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine. It is important that teenage girls, especially, get enough iron and calcium, so Ludlam-Raine says not to become overly focused on protein at the expense of other nutrients. Protein shakes, powders or bars can be useful for some, including high-level athletes and those who have certain allergies, but they should not replace a healthy diet. There can also be some unwanted side effects from using protein powders such as bloating, gas, cramps, and diarrhoea. Those with pre-existing health conditions should not use it unless they have been told they can by their doctor. Ludlam-Raine points out that the protein powder market is not as tightly regulated as medicines. "Of course, you can get reputable companies who do third-party testing and make sure that what you see on the label is what is in the inside, but that's not always the case," she says. "And ultimately you can't just have a shake and your biceps grow." Some protein powders contain high amounts of added sugar, artificial ingredients, and hidden stimulants. Dr Ramnik Mathur is a consultant paediatrician from Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust. He explains that we need micronutrients like zinc, calcium and magnesium, which are found in whole foods. So, if meals are replaced with protein shakes, those nutrients are lost. Experts suggest spreading out protein across the day and aiming for 20-25g per meal. If you're keen to up your intake, try some of these recipes. During puberty when children have growth spurts, they do need more protein because their body is growing rapidly, building new muscle and bone mass. But Mathur says there are risks to eating too much protein. "If you look at social media, they'll say you need to eat a lot of protein, but your body can handle only so much." He explains that if you eat too much, it has to be excreted by the kidneys and liver which can become overloaded. Mathur explains: "We had a child here at the hospital where I work - he was taking so much protein that his kidneys just stopped working and he actually passed away." The key takeaway from Mathur: "If a 12-year-old child is eating a healthy balanced diet then they shouldn't need any more protein." Ludlam-Raine's advice is to get teens to improve their diet first before taking any protein powder, especially regularly. If they still want to use it, speak to a registered dietitian or nutritionist first. Now off I go to tell my son the answer is still no - and the experts say the same. Related topics - Published24 September - Published23 January
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