1 School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. tairbp20@gmail.com.
2 Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
3 Faculty of Land and Food Systems, Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada.
4 Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre (MBMC), Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé Et de Services Sociaux du Nord-de-L'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS-NIM), Montreal, QC, Canada.
5 Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
6 Department of Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel.
7 Institute of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Hypertension, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
8 Obesity Unit, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
9 Department of Nutrition, Tel-Aviv Assuta Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Purpose of review: Protein intake is recognized as a key nutritional factor crucial for optimizing Metabolic Bariatric Surgery (MBS) outcomes by preventing protein malnutrition, preserving fat-free mass, and inducing satiety. This paper discusses the current evidence regarding protein intake and its impact on clinical outcomes following MBS.

Recent findings: There are considerable gaps in the understanding of protein requirements following MBS, as existing guidelines are based on limited and inconsistent reports. This highlights the urgent need for updated clinical practice recommendations grounded in high-quality evidence. Further investigation using robust methodologies is essential to address existing research gaps related to the individualization of protein requirements following MBS. Future research should consider factors such as the time elapsed since surgery, the form and quantity of protein consumed, and necessary adjustments for physical activity. Ultimately, in alignment with recent literature, a more specific and personalized dietary protein approach should be examined.