“Higher protein diets can also be helpful to minimise age-related muscle loss and to also help manage or prevent malnutrition and unintentional weight loss in some people,” explains Ibitoye. “Eating enough protein is also good for satiation. It’s been suggested that protein can slow down gastric emptying (essentially the movement of food from stomach to the small intestine) and decrease ghrelin, the hunger hormone, levels.”

Many studies have shown that there’s no negative impact when protein levels are slightly increased in healthy people who regularly exercise, but it’s important to be mindful of how much you prioritise protein over other nutrients and foods. “High-protein diets are sometimes restrictive in carbohydrates, which may lead to nutritional deficiencies or an inadequate intake of fibre which is essential for good gut health,” explains Ibitoye. “Some varieties of high protein diets may also include a lot of red and processed red meat or foods high saturated foods which may increase the risk of heart disease.

She also points out that there are some people high-protein diets are not suitable for: “In people with kidney disease, high-protein diets aren’t recommended because their body may not be able to eliminate all the waste products of protein metabolism.”

High-protein diets are everywhere, but does everyone need more of the macronutrient?