Protein Panic: How Much Do You Really Need?

Fork U with Dr. Terry Simpson · Feb 19, 2026 · 8m

Protein Panic: How Much Do You Really Need?

Everywhere you look, protein has become a competition.

Scroll long enough and you will believe muscle disappears if you eat less than 150 grams a day. Meanwhile, influencers debate leucine thresholds like they’re trading baseball cards. As a result, ordinary meals now feel like math problems.

However, biology does not require panic.

Protein matters. Yet adequacy differs from excess. And importantly, most people eating real food already meet their needs.

So let’s slow down.

First, What Protein Actually Does

Protein builds and repairs tissue. In…