Defining Nutrition

Nutrition is defined by what the body can actually use. Not a label claim.
Labels are marketing. Physiology is not.

A product marketed as “healthy” is not automatically nourishing. Marketing language reflects positioning, not physiology. Nutrition requires more than a macronutrient number. It requires looking at whether the body can absorb, utilize, and integrate what is consumed.

Marketing Protein vs Nutritional Value

Protein-forward marketing has blurred the definition of nutrition. Foods are increasingly promoted as “nutritional” simply because protein has been added, often at the expense of other essential nutrients. Fortification can raise a macronutrient number on a label. It does not automatically improve nutritional quality.

A single macronutrient does not define nutritional value. Nutrition includes fiber, vitamins, minerals, and the body’s capacity to absorb and utilize what is consumed. Stripping naturally occurring nutrients and reformulating foods around isolated protein does not create a more nourishing product. It creates a different one.

Absorption Has Limits

Protein is essential for tissue repair, hormone production, immune function, and metabolic health. But protein is not absorbed equally across all sources, nor can the body effectively utilize unlimited amounts at once. When intake exceeds absorption capacity, protein remains in the gastrointestinal tract, contributing to bloating, discomfort, and impaired digestion. At that point, it is no longer contributing to muscle gain or improved body composition.

Absorption determines whether nutrients can be used for growth, repair, and maintenance. What the body cannot absorb is eliminated. This is why absorption matters more than nutrient totals.

Context Matters in Food Choice

Protein-fortified foods may be useful for specific populations, including individuals with increased needs, limited appetite, or dietary restrictions. In those contexts, fortification can be supportive rather than harmful.

However, when these products are marketed broadly as superior nutrition without addressing nutrient balance or absorption, the message becomes misleading. Supporting long-term health does not require prioritizing protein at the expense of overall nutritional balance. Balanced meals built from whole foods remain the most reliable foundation.

Nourishment comes from support. Not from subtraction. Not from substitution.

If nutrition is about how food nourishes the body, then it’s worth examining the language we use around food itself. What do we actually mean when we say “diet”?