Most protein products find their home in a gym with lots of weights and mirrors. Now, I’m in a Starbucks watching a regular caramel latte and a protein caramel latte come together side by side. Inside the former is about 29 grams of protein sourced from Starbucks’ protein-boosted milk. The resulting drink, except for a thicker consistency and a slight increase in price, tastes exactly the same as the non-protein latte. 

Besides the protein-boosted milk, Starbucks customers also have the option to top their drink with whey cold foam. This is made with whey protein isolate, a highly filtered, unflavored protein, heavy in amino acids and known for its low lactose percentage. 

“Our new protein beverages tap into the growing consumer demand for protein in an innovative, premium and delicious way that only Starbucks can deliver,” Tressie Lieberman, Starbucks global chief brand officer, said on their website.

Alongside Starbucks, Cheerios has also released a protein-packed cereal line, and Quest Cookies can be seen lingering in every grocery store, and Chipotle has dropped its new high-protein menu. 

Protein isn’t new, humans have consumed meat and beans for forever, but now we see it everywhere; taking over the media, stores and gyms. Consuming too much can lead to negative side effects like cancer, increased thirst, weight gain and an unhealthy spike in blood sugar, according to the National Library of Medicine. However, proteins are critical to most of the work done by cells and are required for the structure, function and regulation of the body’s tissues and organs, according to the National Institutes of Health. 

Whey has been a growing reason for this rise in protein consumption. Many dairy products like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt have whey, as well as many protein powders consisting of whey isolate or concentrate. According to data from the Department of Agriculture, in January 2003, plants produced about eight million pounds of high-protein whey powder. That number grew steadily to between 35 million and 40 million pounds per month by 2018, before leveling off.

Junior Issac Gregory has a minimum of 200 grams of protein a day. Being a competitive bodybuilder, he’s in the gym every day after school until 4:00 pm. 

“I don’t think it matters that much the way that you bring in,” Gregory said. “There’s some studies showing eating cooked meat is better than having protein supplements, but it depends on the time of day and depending on when you work out.”

The impact of social media on the spread of protein originates from the rise in weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Protein intake is now also especially important for the millions of Americans taking weight-loss drugs. According to the Mayo Clinic, people who are losing weight rapidly tend to lose both muscle and fat and they want to maintain as much muscle as possible.  

According to a study done by the Clean Label Project, a non-profit that certifies many products according to international standards, many protein powders are found to contain heavy metals, bisphenol-A, pesticides, or other contaminants. The Clean Label Project credits manufacturing processes, environments, or the presence of toxins in soil.

Even though sipping a protein shake is more convenient and easier to prepare, lean meat delivers a broader spectrum of vitamins and minerals. 

“The difference between artificial and natural proteins, while on paper is technically the same, eating protein from meat versus protein powder can digest differently in your body,” Gregory said. “Natural proteins from animal meat can be digested more efficiently and absorbed better into your system, compared to proteins from protein bars or powder.”

Trainer Jon Rowley says that he recommends taking supplements only if nutrition is the top priority and there is a specific target of muscle gain in mind.

“You should always attempt to get as much of your daily intake from real food,” said Kym van Zanten, Director of Training at 2020FIT. “So whether that’s a lean chicken breast for dinner alongside protein powder, then that’s what you need to do. It depends on how much somebody weighs, and what their goals are.”

Until a new health fixation arises – in the height of its popularity – the protein craze isn’t going anywhere.