An unprecedented protein boom! ~ I will check your gimon ~

Camp the sales floor! Protein Whirlwind

Have you seen many products such as protein drinks and sweets at convenience stores and supermarkets recently? The first place I went to was a major supermarket in Chiba City. Immediately after opening the automatic door at the entrance, in front of the sales floor is a sign that says "PROTEIN", which means "protein" in English. Chocolate bars and cookies with the amount of protein contained in the product are piled up. "I put it at the entrance, so I'm focusing on sales now..." I thought so and walked around the sales floor. "Another entrance on the parking lot side" also has the word "protein".

There were 11 protein food sales corners in the same supermarket.

Sweets, soup, even tofu.

When most people think of protein, they imagine something that athletes and macho men who go to the gym dissolve and drink. However, the products lined up in the store are really different. Sweets, cereals, jellies, soups, and mapo tofu, which is rich in protein. There are more than 40 kinds of original products in this supermarket alone.

Mr. Atsuyuki Muraki of Aeon Retail “Nowadays, sales of protein foods are growing rapidly, and customer needs are high. Sales in the most recent year have increased 1.8 times from the previous year, which is actually 4 times higher than the previous year. There are really many customers who can pick it up.”

Protein Market Rapidly Expanding to 220 Billion Yen! ?

The unprecedented “protein boom” is backed by data. According to the private research firm Fuji Keizai, the market for protein supplements, which includes powdered foods and processed foods such as beverages and confectionery, is expected to exceed 220 billion yen in 2021. . This scale is four times as large as it was 10 years ago (2011). Three years later, in 2025, it is predicted to exceed 300 billion yen.

With the expansion of the boom, eccentric products are appearing one after another. This is a protein that tastes like that nostalgic candy. A new trading company that handles branded products such as watches has entered the market and launched it last year.

In addition, not only major food manufacturers but also other industries have entered the market one after another, such as "retort curry" with enhanced protein content, "potage", "ramen", and "ice cream". Various products have been developed that overturn conventional concepts.

Why protein in your diet?

What is the reason for the rapid expansion of the protein market? Risa Fujimoto (26) recently started taking protein. I work for a human resources service company, but due to the corona crisis, I basically have to telework and lack exercise. It is said that one of the reasons for this is the elimination of the so-called “corona weight gain”.

Mr. Risa Fujimoto “I immediately gained a few kilograms after the corona crisis, and I thought this was bad. I don't go out.I have online meetings, so I sit motionless in my chair.I started spending my days off at home, and my weight has reached its peak."

However, there must be many people who think that drinking protein will make you gain muscle and gain weight instead. Why are diets so effective?

What is the relationship between protein and diet? >> 1. Take protein after exercising 2. Increase muscle mass and increase calorie consumption (metabolism) 3. Eating the same amount of food will increase calorie consumption and make it difficult to gain weight? 4, there is no effect just by drinking protein

Protein = Protein is one of the essential nutrients for humans as a material for building muscles, organs, and blood. According to experts, taking protein after exercising increases muscle mass and burns more calories, making it harder to gain weight.

However, just drinking protein does not have a diet effect. For this reason, Mr. Fujimoto attends a dance school several times a month and actively moves his body. And after the lesson, it became a habit to buy a protein drink at a convenience store and drink it. It is said that its simplicity and ease of drinking is also a big attraction.

Mr. Fujimoto ``Protein is something men who are doing muscle training drink, and it was a hassle to shake a shaker and make it yourself, and I used to feel uncomfortable. It's easy to buy, and it's easy to drink with fruit or yogurt flavors, and it feels like drinking a normal nutritional drink or milk drink rather than drinking protein."

Has your diet changed?

Proteins are gaining popularity as people become more health-conscious due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, when it comes to dieting, many people think that it is necessary to limit their intake of sugar and carbohydrates.

Q: Didn't you think about dietary restrictions? Mr. Fujimoto: As a YouTuber said, it is written on SNS that unreasonable diets such as "eating all the same things" such as bananas and tofu will rebound, and it is not good to diet when you see such things and do not eat. I think it's good to maintain good health by doing things like exercising and drinking protein."

I see. The muscle training boom in recent years, and the increased time spent at home due to the corona crisis, are also behind the boom, as videos for maintaining health and beauty, such as muscle training and stretching, are often seen.

Protein is popular among the elderly

Is the protein boom spreading only to young people? The next place I visited was a paid nursing home with nursing care in Tokyo. Here, we started offering noodles such as udon, soba, and ramen that contain a lot of protein from December last year.

These noodles contain about twice as much protein as regular noodles. Elderly people who eat less and tend to lose muscle strength. The aim is to maintain the health of the elderly by using foods that contain a lot of protein. On this day, an 89-year-old male resident was enjoying eating protein-filled ramen.

Yasuo Ohno: “I really liked the noodles.

Ms. Kanatsu Ito, Care Staff “You have to eat a lot of fish and meat to get protein, but the elderly don’t eat well. You may find it difficult to swallow, or you may not be able to eat foods that you do not like.The charm of these noodles is that you can get a lot of protein without changing the taste, which will help you live a healthy life. I think it will also be an opportunity to extend the

Be careful not to take too much There is also an unexpected risk...

Protein spreads from the young to the elderly. However, according to experts, there is an unexpected risk of taking too much protein.

《Be careful not to take too much protein》 1. An important nutrient that builds muscle and body structure. The amount that cannot be processed becomes "urine" and "fat" 3, and excessive intake puts a burden on the "liver" and "kidneys" that are converted into fat and urea (Kanagawa Prefectural University of Health and Welfare Director Shihoko Suzuki)

Protein is an important nutrient that builds muscle and other body structures. However, since the amount that can be digested and absorbed at one time is limited, the protein that cannot be processed is excreted as urine or becomes fat. If you take too much, it is said that there is a risk of putting a burden on the "liver" and "kidneys" that are converted to fat and urea.

Shihoko Suzuki, head of the Department of Nutrition “For example, if you are too busy with work to eat lunch, you can get more protein than just eating bread or rice balls. There is an advantage that it is better to eat yoghurt with yogurt.However, if you eat too much at once, some of it may turn into fat and you may gain weight.If you continue to overdose, your liver function will decrease. I think people who don't drink alcohol but whose liver function numbers have deteriorated should reconsider how they take it."

How Much Protein Is Right?

So, how much protein should you take in a day? Suzuki's guideline is 1 gram per 1 kg of body weight. It's your weight in grams.

[Estimated daily protein intake for a person weighing 50 kg] People who have a lot of desk work: about 50 grams People who exercised for 1 hour or more... about 60 grams Approximately 85 grams Elderly people Approximately 55 grams

If you have a lot of desk work and your weight is 50kg, 50 grams per day is recommended. And it is desirable to divide it into three times to make it easier to absorb, and people who have three well-balanced meals a day do not need to drink more protein.

This is the amount of protein in the food. For example, if you eat rice, natto, and eggs for breakfast, the total weight is 19.4 grams. If you weigh 50 kilos, it is calculated that you are getting a sufficient amount of protein.

Shihoko Suzuki, Head of the Department of Nutrition “Protein foods are very convenient, easy to use, and effective for people who are not getting enough nutrition. I think it's really necessary to have protein between meals.I think it's important to know how much protein you need and how much protein you're getting from your diet."

Know yourself first

With the heightened health awareness of the corona crisis, new protein products are being created one after another. However, the more you take, the healthier you will not be. “Know yourself first.” The words of Ms. Shihoko Suzuki, whom I interviewed this time, left an impression on me. How much nutrients do you need? I felt that it is important to acquire the “knowledge” to make good use of convenient products.