The Protein Epidemic

Who would have thought that the supermarket shelves filled with processed food products, packaged in plastic and filled with preservatives would dominate the mind of an average consumer of being “healthy” because of some extra few grams of protein added, so much so that they would become determined to pay double or triple the price just to consume it.  A few decades ago protein was merely just another macronutrient needed for the sustained growth and health of an individual. Everyone had a slight idea of how protein was beneficial for the growth of muscles. Most of the time, eggs, chicken and meat were considered as the most efficient protein source.

Somewhere in the marketing departments of large corporations, they collectively yet again rose up with a brilliant strategy of mass human catastrophe, trapping consumers with the idea of protein being vital for everyday intake and marketed it as an essential to have in every meal.

Millennials and Genz grew up watching professional body builders and athletes advertising their advanced protein diets to win competitions, marathons and olympics alike- setting a profound influence on the paramount of protein intake. Little did they know what kind of annihilation was yet to arrive.

This innocent macronutrient becoming a 55-60 billion dollar industry in this very day and age is very inevitable. Even a child with no knowledge of biology can comprehend how a snickers bar is anything but healthy for a person to consume in their daily diet. Despite these warnings, the same snickers chocolate bars are being labeled as high in protein and being consumed by millions daily. Moreover, Brands which have been linked to diabetes and cancer now advertise their product as being “high in protein”. One may wonder, is this a genuine fault or a method to gaslight oneself for eating such junk without being drowned in guilt when the devastating medical reports reveal the truth.

Not only is this a false flag but highly detrimental to health . People who have suffered from their lack of ethics while following a balanced diet, are now terrifyingly desperate to do anything and achieve their health goals. Little do they know that eating high protein pastas -which are still high in saturated fats and carbohydrates- will not reverse their diabetes or magically grow muscles.

It is hard to blame them for such self sabotaging decisions when they get their medical advice from TikTok influencer doctors and artificial intelligence. We can comprehend how dangerous it can be to toy with human psychology while it comes to their health. However, this is not any concern for the corporations who have built an industry on the word “protein”, and such ignorant mindlessness of the society is what maximises their profits.

Yes, protein consumption is important and incorporating protein bars, and protein shakes into your daily diet is not as harmful or extreme. Nevertheless, it is the excessive extent of this protein epidemic that is resulting in teenagers smoking protein vapes which is almost incredibly unbelievable that such a product can exist and be produced. Natural carbohydrates, sugars and fats are so villainized in today’s time that people tend to forget that these are the macronutrients which without a doubt are fundamental for proper growth and aging. They would rather eat the lab made protein, fried in seed oils and filled with chemicals rather than fruits and beans, raising concerns around the globe every day.