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8 Benefits of Protein and How Much You Need

By Edwina Clark, MS, RD, CSSD

October 15, 2025

Everyone is talking about protein these days, as so many have discovered the benefits go beyond helping to build muscle and extend to keeping hunger at bay, curbing cravings, healthy weight management, bone health and more. In addition, protein helps you preserve muscle as you age.

In other words, an adequate protein intake makes sense for all people, from the young athlete, to the working person who doesn’t have as much time to exercise but wants to stay trim, to the menopausal woman, to the elderly person who seeks to stay agile and strong.

Let’s examine the following:

• The benefits from protein you can expect

• How much protein you actually need

• How much protein is too much

• When to consume protein

• How to get more protein into your day

As always, you should consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning any new dietary or lifestyle regimen.

Benefits

1. Promotes, maintains and preserves muscle mass

Protein spurs muscle growth, as it’s the principle building block for muscle. A 2008 analysis of nearly 50 studies showed how protein supplementation, when used in tandem with strength training, can assist with muscle growth and an increase in strength.

In fact, having enough protein also helps you maintain your muscle gains, even when you undergo a lower calorie diet. Indeed, studies show that protein helps maintain lean muscle mass during weight loss, even when one’s resting energy expenditure goes down.

Note that older adults have higher protein requirements than younger people, especially if they seek to build muscle. A 2016 Nutrients study that examined protein consumption and the elderly discussed that the ability to live independently into older age hinged on maintaining muscle mass, strength and function.

Overall, for optimal muscle health, it’s recommended to pair adequate protein consumption with regular strength training (such as two to three times a week).

2. Reduces appetite and cravings

A lesser-known benefit of protein is its ability to reduce appetite and even cravings, including in the evening. Such an effect can result in a lower overall calorie consumption and subsequent weight loss.

In particular, protein helps with your so-called “hunger hormones,” which include ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), peptide YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK). When you “mismanage” your hunger hormones, it can be very difficult to lose weight, if that is your goal.

For example, when your stomach is empty or you are sleep deprived, ghrelin gets released and increases your appetite. But when you eat protein, your ghrelin levels go down while your satiety hormones (GLP-1, PYY and CCK) increase — and you feel fuller and reduce your intake.

Meanwhile, a high-protein diet raises plasma amino acids, upregulates hepatic gluconeogenesis and elevates β-hydroxybutyrate — together, these signals are linked to greater satiety.

A 2020 systematic review published in Physiology & Behavior revealed that protein increases both your body’s own GLP-1 and cholecystokinin, which are hormones that signal fullness and assist digestive function.

Protein also appears to help curb cravings, which are different from straightforward hunger. Hunger is when your body seeks nutrients in the form of food, but a craving is your brain seeking a particular type of food and can be hard to control. For example, craving ice cream. Cravings are often for low-nutrient, highly processed foods and while eating them causes a dopamine spike, your brain often soon wants more.

To lessen these cravings, eating more protein appears to help. Studies in which protein consumption was increased to 25 percent of total calories reduced cravings by over half.

3. Increases metabolism and fat burning

Besides helping to reduce your appetite, protein also can boost your metabolism and even help burn body fat. In fact, a lesser-known fact about protein is that it takes more energy to metabolize protein than it does carbohydrates and fat.

In fact, the thermic effect of protein is roughly 20 to 30 percent of the calories consumed from protein. In other words, for every 100 calories of protein you consume, your body burns an additional 20 to 30 calories to simply digest and absorb it. Protein is literally a fat-burning food.

The thermic effect of carbohydrates is only 5 to 10 percent of your carb calories, while fat’s thermic effect is even less at 0 to 3 percent of your fat calories.

Studies show that a high protein intake can boost one’s basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is the minimum amount of energy required by the body to maintain essential functions at rest, such as breathing and heartbeat. Muscle is also metabolically active tissue and by helping to build muscle, protein is boosting your metabolism and helping you to burn more calories at rest. Protein even contributes to a higher metabolic rate while sleeping.

Protein can also improve insulin sensitivity, which can help boost metabolism (and regulate blood sugar levels).

4. Helps you lose weight or manage a healthy weight

As you can see, eating protein can reduce appetite, create a feeling of fullness, lower cravings, boost the metabolism, burn fat and help maintain or increase metabolically active muscle. These are all reasons why increasing your protein intake can result in weight loss or help you manage a healthy weight.

For example, the principal way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn each day, aka creating a calorie deficit. Eating more protein in your daily diet makes this much easier to accomplish, for your hunger and cravings are reduced while your metabolism and ability to burn fat are increased.

Meanwhile, the interplay between protein intake and your muscle mass plays a significant role in potential weight loss. When combined with some form of strength training, eating more protein allows you to maintain or increase your muscle mass. This development boosts your metabolism so you’re burning more calories at rest, throughout the day.

5. Supports bone health

Protein benefits bone density maintenance and bone health in general, particularly when combined with the right amount of calcium and vitamin D intake and regular weight-bearing exercises.

While many believe that too much protein isn’t recommended for bone health, multiple studies show the opposite: that animal protein (more than plant protein) benefits bone health in multiple ways. When combined with strength training, getting enough protein per day helps one maintain bone mass. This is particularly important for those going through menopause, when bone health becomes very important.

While more studies need to be conducted, a 2022 review of over 1,500 adults aged 68 to 75 demonstrated that increased protein consumption assisted in increasing bone density.

6. Supports healthy levels of blood pressure

Healthy blood pressure levels are very important for heart health, and protein may support healthy blood pressure by promoting the production of nitric oxide — a natural compound that relaxes and widens blood vessels, improving circulation.

A 2023 Nutrients study involving older adults discovered that higher protein intake contributed to healthy blood pressure levels.

Studies even indicate that the protein powder whey protein (as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle, including regular exercise) helps to promote healthy, normal blood pressure and lipid profile levels.

In fact, a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition evaluated the blood pressure of 42 participants who consumed whey protein powder or maltodextrin (the control) for eight weeks. Those who used whey experienced blood pressure and blood circulation benefits. Whey protein also supported healthy cholesterol levels.

7. Promotes healthy immune system function

Protein is critical for producing normal antibodies, which are key for a healthy immune system. The amino acids in protein help build and repair immune system cells as well as help your body recover from stress, such as hard exercise. Certain amino acids (like glutamine) also nourish intestinal cells, which are key for gut integrity — an important part of immune defense.

For example, whey protein promotes the synthesis of glutathione and works to promote a healthy immune system. Glutathione also boosts the efficacy of other antioxidants, like vitamin C, CoQ10 and vitamin E. Whey also contains L-arginine and L-lysine, two amino acids that promote healthy immune system function.

According to research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, whey protein helps the body recover after exercise, which is important for immune system health, and promotes a healthy response to oxidative stress.

8. Supports healthy aging

Aging causes your muscles to gradually weaken and shrink, which affects your strength, function and mobility. But protein can help older adults stay stronger, recover faster and maintain vitality.

While aging naturally leads to some muscle loss, adequate protein intake helps slow this process by supporting muscle repair and growth — especially when combined with resistance exercise.

Getting enough protein cannot just help us maintain strength and mobility, but also promote balance and sure-footedness while improving the ability to do everyday tasks (going up stairs, carrying groceries, standing for an extended period of time, etc.).

Collagen and other structural proteins also keep skin firm, joints flexible and tissues resilient.

How much protein do you need?

Protein recommendations need to be personalized, as even general recommendations are inconsistent.

That being said, most people need somewhere between 1–2 g/kg (0.45–0.9 g/lb) of body weight, although there’s some research to suggest that up to 3 g/kg (1.36 g/lb) of body weight is appropriate for certain individuals, particularly those who seek to add more muscle or who exercise very frequently.

Here’s how that translates into daily protein consumption:

• For a 150-pound female who is moderately active, the daily protein intake should range from 67 to 135 grams of protein. If you go to 3 g/kg (1.36 g/lb), that means roughly 204 grams of protein.

• For a 200-pound male who is moderately active, the daily protein intake should range from 90 to 190 grams of protein. If you go to 3 g/kg (1.36 g/lb), that means roughly 272 grams of protein.

For those who want to lose weight, more protein should be consumed — up to 35 percent of your daily calories. Aim for approximately 1.6–2.2 g/kg (0.73–1.0 g/lb) of body weight.

Here’s how that translates into daily protein consumption:

• For a 150-pound female who wants to lose weight, the daily protein intake should range from 109 to 150 grams of protein.

• For a 200-pound male who wants to lose weight, the daily protein intake should range from 146 to 200 grams of protein.

Meanwhile, the standard protein RDA for older adults is likely too low. This is important because many older adults come up short on their protein intakes and this can further contribute to the progressive loss of muscle While the RDA is 0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb) per day, expert groups recommend 1–1.2 g/kg (0.45–0.54 g/lb) per day for healthy adults over the age of 65.

Here’s how that translates into daily protein consumption:

• For a 150-pound female who is over the age of 65, the daily protein intake should range from 67 to 81 grams of protein.

• For a 180-pound male who is over the age of 65 the daily protein intake should range from 81 to 97 grams of protein.

(For those who are ill, the protein recommendations go up to 1.2–1.5 g/kg (0.54– 0.68 g/lb) per day. For severe illness, injury or malnutrition, the recommendation increases to ~2.0 g/kg (~0.9 g/lb) per day.)

How much protein is too much?

Around 2.2g/kg (1 g/lb) of body weight is the upper limit for most people and can be well tolerated. Folks who want to lose weight, athletes and those seeking to add significant muscle may benefit from going up to 3g/kg (1.36 g/lb) for short periods of time.

Overall, too much protein can place pressure on your kidneys and can raise your risk of kidney stones if you’re eating too much meat. If you’re choosing red meats that are higher in saturated fats, then you can also inadvertently raise your risk of heart disease and other issues.

The carnivore diet that practices eating most meat is particularly problematic for its overconsumption of red meat but also not getting enough carbohydrates in the daily diet, which can lead to a decrease in performance and a lack of fiber for digestive health.

When to consume protein

To maximize protein synthesis and regulate your appetite, it’s best to spread your protein intake throughout the day. Doing this means you're not going to have those big hunger spikes that often lead to overeating. That means aiming for high-protein breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

Additionally, getting in protein after a workout is valuable for stimulating muscle protein synthesis and recovery. Ideally, get in 15 to 40 grams of protein after your workout (within two hours) along with some carbohydrates to replenish your glycogen stores. This is particularly important after very intense and/or long workouts.

How to get more protein into your day

In order to easily get more protein into your daily diet, follow these steps:

• For breakfast, include foods like eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and supplements like protein powders.

• For lunch, use grilled chicken or fish in salads and sandwiches or go with plant-based proteins like tempeh or tofu. Add lentils or chickpeas to your salads. Use unflavored protein powder (such as from bone broth) in your soups. Go with no-flour wheat berry bread.

• For dinner, go with high-protein foods like chicken breast, wild-caught salmon, flank stead, turkey burger or lamp chops alongside a complex carb with protein and fiber (like quinoa and legumes) as well as vegetables.

• Have protein shakes and smoothies as a snack. Collagen, bone broth, whey and casein are four popular animal-derived proteins. Mixed plant proteins , brown rice, pea and hemp are quality vegan protein powders.

Edwina Clark, RD, is a registered dietitian, foodie and fitness-junkie on a mission to help others lead healthy and happy lives. Her clinical training experience includes weight management, diabetes, gut health, allergies and sports nutrition. Now based in Alexandria, Virginia, this proud Australian has over a decade of experience bringing evidence-based health and wellness products to market. Edwina is an Ancient Nutrition paid partner and part of Ancient Nutrition's Wellness Roundtable.