Explained: Why Protein is Essential for Your Health (+ Dr Amir’s No.1 Protein Habit)

Is Protein Essential For Your Health? Dr Amir Provides more information

If you’d asked me about protein when I was at medical school between 1999 and 2004, I’d probably have told you that it was important for building muscles. And that’s about where the conversation would have ended. We learnt the science of disease brilliantly, but very little about how food could prevent disease in the first place.

My real education in nutrition came later, during my GP training and then while studying for my postgraduate qualifications in diabetes and metabolic health. The more I read, the more fascinated I became by the power of nutrition, and protein was one of the nutrients that kept appearing in the research.

Fast forward to today, and protein has become something of a buzzword and it has some very good science behind it. Because protein isn’t just about bodybuilders or people trying to get bigger muscles. It’s about helping every single one of us stay healthier for longer.

How Protein is Essential for your Health

Protein is doing far more than you realise. It’s repairing tissues, producing enzymes, making hormones, building antibodies that help fight infection and keeping our organs functioning properly. Protein is literally the building block of life.

But perhaps the biggest shift in my own thinking has been around muscle. Muscle is an incredibly active organ that communicates with the rest of the body by releasing signalling molecules called myokines. These influence everything from inflammation and brain health to metabolism.

Healthy muscle also acts like one of the body’s biggest “glucose sponges”. After we eat, muscle removes glucose from the bloodstream in response to insulin and stores it as glycogen, helping to keep blood sugar levels under control. The more healthy muscle we maintain, the better our metabolic health tends to be. That’s one reason why preserving muscle is so important in reducing the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

We have went into further details about the benefits of protein in the complete guide to protein

Who should be paying more attention to protein?

All of us.

Most people would benefit from making sure they’re eating enough protein throughout the day. But there are certain groups where I pay particularly close attention.

If you’re doing regular exercise, especially strength or resistance training, you need protein to repair and build muscle after you’ve challenged it.

If you’re a woman going through the perimenopause or menopause, protein becomes even more important. Falling oestrogen levels naturally accelerate muscle loss, and because muscle and bone health are so closely linked, maintaining muscle helps support stronger bones alongside regular weight-bearing exercise.

As we get older, maintaining muscle becomes one of the best investments we can make in our future health. We naturally lose muscle as we age, increasing the risk of frailty, falls and loss of independence. Research now suggests that older adults often benefit from a higher protein intake than younger adults, particularly when it’s combined with resistance exercise.

 

10 Plant-based Sources of Protein For Vegans

Looking for plant-based sources of protein? From everyday staples to ready-to-use products, there are plenty of ways to support your intake across meals and healthy snacks. Here are 10 versatile, plant-based ingredients that can help you bring more protein into your day, along with easy tips to get the most from them.

Our Favourite Plant Based Protein Sources

One habit I wish everyone adopted: Protein Consistency

If I could persuade everyone to do just one thing, it would be this: Include a source of protein every time you eat. Not just at dinner, breakfast matters too.

One product I’ve really enjoyed incorporating into my own diet is Linwood’s Protein Boost. It contains a blend of shelled hemp seeds, milled chia seeds and plant protein powders, providing 10 grams of plant protein per serving to help maintain muscle mass.

Instead of toast on its own, think Greek yoghurt topped with berries, nuts and seeds and Linwood’s Protein Boost. Lunch could be lentil soup, hummus and wholegrain pitta, bean salads, cottage cheese or tofu, all topped with a couple of spoonfuls of Linwood’s Protein Boost.  Dinner might be a chickpea curry, lentil Bolognese, bean chilli, tofu stir fry, fish or eggs if you eat them.

Protein also helps us feel fuller for longer, meaning we’re often less tempted to reach for ultra-processed snacks between meals. So alongside helping preserve muscle, it can also make healthy weight management feel much easier.

As a vegetarian, Linwood’s Protein Boost really appeals to me. I always try to increase my protein intake from plant-based foods where I can. Not only because they’re nutritious, but because they align with my own values of eating in a way that’s kinder to the planet and to animals.

The beauty is how easy it is to use. Stir a couple of spoonfuls into porridge, overnight oats, yoghurt or smoothies, sprinkle it over soup or salads, or even mix it into baking. It’s one of those small additions that can quietly make a big difference over time.

My final thought: Why Protein is Essential for your Health

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt during my career is that health isn’t usually transformed by one dramatic change. It’s shaped by the small decisions we make every day. For me, protein is one of those daily decisions. Not because I’m trying to build bigger muscles, but because I’m trying to build a healthier future.

About the author: Dr Amir Khan

Dr Amir Khan is a devoted full-time GP and best-selling author. Here he talks about how protein is essential for your health

Amir can be found on our screens every week as the resident doctor for ITV’s Lorraine & Good Morning Britain, and is co-host of the Linwoods sponsored podcast ‘No Appointment Necessary’ (Viral Tribe).

He has several bestselling books including The Doctor Will See You Now, How (Not) To Have an Arranged Marriage and How Families are Made.

Amir has also presented TV shows such as How To Keep Your Brain Young, Dr Amir’s Sugar Crash and You Are What You Eat.

Other TV credits include hosting the Science of Sleep with Gaby Roslin, How to Lose a Stone in a Month with Ruth Langsford, and The Great British Urine Test.

When he’s not in the surgery or reminding us that protein is essential for your health, Amir spends his time gardening, baking, running and supporting wildlife conservation.