I’ve just finished reading Andrew Huberman’s popular new wellness book, Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body. As a longevity medicine doctor and family office Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), I feel an urgent need to share my thoughts about his book. While I’ll be the first to admit that the book is snappy and easy to read, I fear that it may dangerously mislead readers. Here are my top three concerns.
Protein Maxxing
His nutrition section is, by far, the worst part of the book. His foundational claim, for which he offers NO EVIDENCE, is that we need to eat one gram of protein per day. In other words, an average adult woman in the United States would need to consume a whopping 172 grams of protein per day!
Huberman is saying you should eat more protein than you’ll find in three Big Macs!
Forget it. Most people simply don’t need that much protein. In fact, growing evidence suggests that a lower (but still adequate amount) of protein likely leads to improved body weight, reduced frailty, and fewer medical problems. Moreover, switching from animal to plant-based protein likely offers health and environmental benefits.
Worse, Huberman offers one-size-fits-all advice on protein. I assume he does that because he’s not a medical doctor and doesn’t treat patients clinically. The truth is, certain groups need more protein, while others need less. For example, collegiate and professional athletes, such as those in the NFL or WNBA, do require high dietary protein intake. They’re exercising all the time, building muscle, and need the fuel. It is also true that some older people, or those with certain medical conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, should eat more protein because of absorption issues.
The rest of us, including middle-aged adults who are sedentary or casually hit the gym or pickleball courts, do not need to protein max.
Sponsors
Look, I don’t begrudge Dr. Huberman for seeking to make money from his book and podcast. He works hard and deserves to profit from his work. And, to be fair, he publicly discloses his sponsors in the book and on his website.
My concern is that corporate influence may be corrupting his judgment. Whether intentional or not, when a company is paying you, you’re more likely to be kind to them. It’s tough to say something negative about someone who’s paying you.
Perhaps more insidiously, corporate sponsorships might shape what topics he discusses. For example, his book mentions cold beds as a foundational sleep protocol. How do we know whether his funding from Eight Sleep led him to mention cold beds? In many ways, it reminds me of my concerns with Dr. Peter Attia and protein. He made serious cash from David Protein Bars. Could that have influenced Dr. Attia’s judgment? We don’t know.
This brings up one of my pet peeves with wellness influencers like Drs. Attia and Huberman. While they’re undeniably brilliant people, we’re never quite whether they’re looking out for us or their bank accounts. The avoidance of conflicts of interest is why our personal doctors are not supposed to take kickbacks from medications or tests they recommend.
Not practical
I’ll give Dr. Huberman credit; he covers a lot of ground in his book. It includes daily exercise routines, sleep, mindfulness, gratitude, nutrition, pills, supplements, light, and countless thought experiments.
The problem, as I see it, is that most people simply can’t or won’t follow all his protocols. If we did, we’d spend all day doing one tip after the next. And despite all his strategies for focus and performance, he still needs to drink coffee at 2 pm!
Ultimately, we all need common-sense, customized advice we can reasonably follow, and that works for our bodies. Throwing 50 suggestions at the wall to see what sticks is a poor way to develop solid health habits.
I understand; this is a book by a pop wellness influencer. Take it for what it is. Just don’t expect it to replace your doctor.
Gregory Charlop, MD, DipABLM, is a Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) and longevity and Retirement Medicine doctor for family offices in Atlanta, Texas, and California. He's a keynote speaker at the Barron's Advisor 100 Summit. He’s been featured on FOX Business, ABC, NBC, FOX, and Forbes. Dr. Charlop is a Georgia-based, Stanford-trained physician, keynote conference speaker, and author of four books.
