Most adults need more protein than current guidelines suggest, new analysis finds
An international panel of nutrition scientists has published a sweeping review arguing that the official daily protein recommendations used around the world are now too low for most adults. According to Science Daily, the study was published last week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and synthesises three decades of metabolic research.
The current recommendation — 0.8 grams per kilo per day — is the lower bound used by the World Health Organization, the US National Academy of Medicine and many national agencies. The panel says this figure represents the minimum required to maintain positive nitrogen balance and is not the optimum for modern lifestyles.
Dr Stuart Phillips of McMaster University, who led the review, told Science Daily: «The current recommendation was designed to prevent severe protein deficiency; we should not confuse that with the amount needed to support healthy ageing».
The new suggestion is between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of protein per kilo for most adults. For someone weighing 70 kilos, that works out to 84 to 112 grams a day. By comparison, the old 0.8-gram recommendation calls for just 56 grams per day for a 70-kilo person.
The panel stresses that needs should vary with activity level, age and certain health conditions. For adults over 65, 1.4 to 1.6 grams is suggested to counter sarcopenia, and those who regularly do resistance training may need up to 1.6 to 1.8 grams.
The debate over protein source is also covered. Phillips's team notes that animal protein — eggs, fish, dairy, meat — is more efficient because of its complete amino-acid profile, but that plant-based eaters can hit the target by combining pulses, soy, tofu and lentils.
The UK's National Health Service and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) currently recommend 0.83 grams per kilo, close to the US figure. If the panel's new advice is adopted, public-health campaigns and hospital diets may need to be redesigned.
Oncologists and geriatricians say protein needs are even higher for hospitalised elderly patients. The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition's 2025 guidance recommends 1.5 to 2.0 grams per kilo for critically ill patients — more than double the current 0.8.
There have been criticisms about the burden high protein places on the kidneys. But a large cohort study published in 2024 by Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health found no link between high protein intake and kidney disease in people with healthy kidneys. For those with existing kidney disease the recommendation has not changed: individual tailoring under medical supervision is required.
The practical takeaway: according to 2025 data from the Turkish Dietitians Association, average daily protein intake among Turkish adults is around 0.9 grams per kilo — below the new targets. Dietitians say the easiest route to the target is to add 25 to 30 grams of protein to each of three main meals: eggs or yoghurt at breakfast, a handful of pulses or a portion of fish or chicken at lunch and dinner.
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