{"id":692832,"date":"2026-11-02T01:46:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T01:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/?p=692832"},"modified":"2026-11-02T12:52:52","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T12:52:52","slug":"is-protein-essential-for-your-health-dr-amir-provides-more-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/is-protein-essential-for-your-health-dr-amir-provides-more-information\/","title":{"rendered":"IS PROTEIN ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH? DR AMIR PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

IS PROTEIN ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH? DR AMIR PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019d asked me about protein when I was at medical school between 1999 and 2004, I\u2019d probably have told you that it was important for building muscles. And that\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to today, and protein has become something of a buzzword and it has some very good science behind it. Because protein isn\u2019t just about bodybuilders or people trying to get bigger muscles. It\u2019s about helping every single one of us stay healthier for longer.<\/p>\n

HOW PROTEIN IS ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Protein is doing far more than you realise. It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Healthy muscle also acts like one of the body\u2019s biggest \u201cglucose sponges\u201d. 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\u2019s one reason why preserving muscle is so important in reducing the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n

We have went into further details about the benefits of protein in the complete guide to protein<\/p>\n

WHO SHOULD BE PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO PROTEIN?<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of us.<\/p>\n

Most people would benefit from making sure they\u2019re eating enough protein throughout the day. But there are certain groups where I pay particularly close attention.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re doing regular exercise, especially strength or resistance training, you need protein to repair and build muscle after you\u2019ve challenged it.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s combined with resistance exercise.<\/p>\n

10 PLANT-BASED SOURCES OF PROTEIN FOR VEGANS<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Our Favourite Plant Based Protein Sources<\/p>\n

ONE HABIT I WISH EVERYONE ADOPTED: PROTEIN CONSISTENCY<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

One product I\u2019ve really enjoyed incorporating into my own diet is Linwood\u2019s Protein Boost [5]. 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.<\/p>\n

Instead of toast on its own, think Greek yoghurt topped with berries, nuts and seeds and Linwood\u2019s 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\u2019s Protein Boost. Dinner might be a chickpea curry, lentil Bolognese, bean chilli, tofu stir fry, fish or eggs if you eat them.<\/p>\n

Protein also helps us feel fuller for longer, meaning we\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n

As a vegetarian, Linwood\u2019s 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\u2019re nutritious, but because they align with my own values of eating in a way that\u2019s kinder to the planet and to animals.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s one of those small additions that can quietly make a big difference over time.<\/p>\n

MY FINAL THOUGHT: WHY PROTEIN IS ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the biggest lessons I\u2019ve learnt during my career is that health isn\u2019t usually transformed by one dramatic change. It\u2019s shaped by the small decisions we make every day. For me, protein is one of those daily decisions. Not because I\u2019m trying to build bigger muscles, but because I\u2019m trying to build a healthier future.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DR AMIR KHAN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IS PROTEIN ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH? DR AMIR PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION If you\u2019d asked me about protein when I was at medical school between 1999 and 2004, I\u2019d probably have told you that it was important for building muscles. And that\u2019s about where the conversation would have ended. We learnt the science of disease brilliantly, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":692833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-692832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-clubs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692832","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692832"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692832\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":692834,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692832\/revisions\/692834"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692832"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692832"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intouchrugby.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692832"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}