How Much Protein Is Bad? It is most discussed topic as fitness freaks makes it impossible to live healthy living without protein, which is true to some extent.
According to our research more than 2 grams per Kg body weight is harmful for you and it can create health problems.
Protein intake should be moderate as majority of protein gets wasted during digestion process. Your body only accepts less amount of protein that can promote protein synthesis and muscle building.
An Excessive Protein Intake Is Bad For You
How much protein is bad for you? That is a common question that many people ask, but the real answer to this question is very complex. You see, the definition of excess can vary from person to person depending on many factors such as their age, their activity level and even their individual body composition.
With that being said, we can look at some of the most recent research on this topic and get a better idea of how much protein is bad for you. According to a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, too much protein can potentially cause an increase in blood pressure for people with pre-existing hypertension. The study also found that too much protein had no effect on blood pressure for people without hypertension.
The bottom line is that too much protein can be harmful if you don’t have good control over your blood pressure. When you eat more than 40% of your calories from protein, this can lead to kidney damage and bone disease commonly referred to as osteoporosis.
Another potential problem with excessive protein intake is that it may actually inhibit your body’s ability to build muscle and lose fat. This was confirmed in a study published in Advances in Nutrition which found that when carbohydrate intake was low, people burned more fat instead of building more muscle.
The Body Eliminates Excess Proteins
The human body is continuously eliminating excess proteins from its system—through the urine, feces, and skin. This process of purging helps maintain a delicate balance in the body’s systems, which is known as homeostasis.
The kidneys are primarily responsible for the elimination of excess proteins. During the process of protein metabolism, some of this nitrogen must be excreted through urine. When blood levels of protein are elevated, the kidney removes amino acids from the blood and converts them into urea, which is then removed through urination. The rate at which urea is produced increases when there is more protein in the diet than can be used by the body.
In addition to removing excess proteins from the bloodstream, the liver also takes part in protein metabolism. Some proteins are broken down into their amino acid components and are excreted through bile and urine.
When more protein than needed by the body enters the body, these amino acids are converted into glucose (sugar) and returned to the bloodstream for use as fuel by other cells in the body. The liver also synthesizes new proteins from amino acids obtained from digested food or stored amino acids that have been removed from other cell structures.
Can High Protein Intake Damage Your Kidneys
High protein intake is a common practice in many diets, but it can be harmful to your kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste byproducts of protein metabolism. High protein intake over time stresses the kidneys and can damage them over time. If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD) or diabetes, your risk of developing CKD is two to five times higher than with normal kidney function.
New research from the Harvard School of Public Health shows that even moderate amounts of protein increase the likelihood of CKD. People who had 2.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight had an increased risk for developing CKD;
- for those who had 2.6 grams per kilogram,
- their risk was increased threefold.
This is a very small amount—for someone who weighs 150 pounds, this translates to about 56 grams of protein per day. The research showed that kidney damage occurred at a relatively low level of protein intake—in as little as four years, people with high-protein diets had higher levels of markers showing kidney damage.
Eating More Protein Can Make You Eat Less Junk Food
New research finds that eating more protein may have the effect of keeping junk food cravings at bay.
The interesting thing about protein is it can make you feel full, but it also stimulates your brain to experience a heightened feeling of reward. This can increase your likelihood of choosing healthier options. The study found that a higher protein intake led to a reduction in calorie intake and an increase in protein intake, which showed that eating more protein can help you eat less junk food.
Diets Very High In Protein Can Cause Constipation
Diets very high in protein can cause constipation. This is especially true of older people, and those who need to take medications that cause constipation as a side effect.
The body uses protein for many things, including repairing tissues and making enzymes. But unlike fat and carbohydrates, the body does not store protein. It also has no way to get rid of excess protein except by getting rid of it through urine or sweat.
The more protein you eat, the more you produce excess protein in your urine and sweat. As a result, you may become dehydrated because of all the extra fluid you are losing in your urine. Dehydration makes it harder for your kidneys to work properly. This can make it harder for them to keep your blood pressure normal, and cause them to work harder at expelling waste products from your body.
If you already have kidney disease or damaged kidneys, this extra effort can damage your kidneys even further and lead to a buildup of wastes called uremia in your blood stream. This can be life threatening!
Last Words
The bottom line is that eating moderate protein isn’t bad for you. However, it’s important to keep your kidney disease status in mind when making changes to your diet and lifestyle. Your physician will provide you with the best guidance as to what is an appropriate amount of protein for you.