My last couple of articles have looked at protein and the health benefits it can provide. Although it is a fantastic macronutrient that acts as the building blocks for your body, protein is is not without its faults. Consuming too much protein can cause a number of health problems. In this article I will be discussing some of the potential problems associated with overdosing on protein in greater detail.
1) DEHYDRATION:- According to this study increasing your protein intake can also increase levels of dehydration. The study looked at five endurance athletes who consumed low, moderate and high levels of protein over a period of four weeks. The findings revealed that as protein intake went up, hydration levels went down. Dehydration can put you at risk for a number of health problems and heat related illnesses.
2) INCREASED FAT STORAGE:- One of the common misconceptions surrounding protein is that you can eat as much as you like and you will not get fat. However, the simple truth is that if you eat too many calories (whether they be carbohydrate calories, protein calories or fat calories) any excess will be stored as body fat. Increasing your protein intake and reducing your carbohydrate intake whilst staying within the limits of your daily metabolism can stimulate fat burning in your body. However, increasing your overall caloric intake by eating more protein will ultimately lead to fat storage.
3) DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS:- Eating high levels of protein and low levels of carbohydrates causes your body to enter a state of ketosis. This is a state where there is no glucose available in your blood in your blood to use for energy. Since there is no glucose available your liver starts to convert body fat into fatty acids and ketones which can then be used for energy. Whilst this is a popular fat loss method it can also be dangerous for diabetic people. Ketones are acidic and can therefore cause a number of problems including nausea, vomiting and even death. In non-diabetic people blood ketone levels are controlled by insulin. However, diabetic people struggle to produce adequate levels of insulin and ketosis can quickly turn into ketoacidosis, a state where the level of ketones in your blood is extremely high. This then leads to the problems discussed above.
4) KIDNEY STONES:- Studies suggest that high protein diets (particularly those high in meat protein) may be partially to blame for kidney stones. The reason for this is that when you consume protein it is broken down into acids including uric acid. This then increases the overall acidity of your blood. Your responds by releasing the alkaline substance calcium phosphate from the bones into the bloodstream. Ultimately, this can then lead to an increase in urine levels of both uric acid and calcium. These substances may then form into insoluble crystals (kidney stones) which are excreted in the urine.
5) OSTEOPOROSIS:- As I mentioned above eating high levels of protein can ultimately cause your body to release calcium phosphate from the bones. A lack of calcium in the bones can then lead to a condition called osteoporosis where your bone density becomes reduced. Osteoporosis causes your bones to bend, break and fracture much more easily than someone without the condition.
As you can see from this article protein is not perfect. Consuming too much can cause serious health problems. Although it is a vital macronutrient which helps keep you alive excess protein consumption is not advised. Increasing your protein intake at a sensible rate should not cause any of the problems listed above and may help you build muscle and burn fat. Just ensure that you do not go overboard.
Now I want to hear your thoughts. Are there any other protein disadvantages that you can think of which cause health problems? Do you agree that protein consumption should be moderated to a degree? Let me know by leaving a comment.
Sources:
An In Depth Look At Ketogonic Diets and Ketosis (Bodybuilding.com)
Does Too Much Protein Turn To Fat? (Inch-Aweigh.com)
High Protein Diets Cause Dehydration (About.com)
Kidney Stones (About.com)
About Tom
One of my friend used too much protein powder for building his muscles so at first his muscles build very fast but later on his stomach start aching very much and when he went to the doctor, the doctor told him that its reason is using too much protein. So it is also harmful to stomach.
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Hey Noaman. Thanks for the feedback. Was your friend OK in the end?
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Thanks Tom,
That was a really great article. I really didn’t know that much about the overusing it. I’m a bodybuilder but not that expert kind, just the ordinary kind. So I’m using protein most of the times during my practice.
I don’t believe protein have any side effects at all, does it? The only side effect comes when you’re overdosing it as Tom said.
Thank you again and have a great time.
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Tom Reply:
July 13th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Hey Fisher. Thanks for the comment. Yes when researching this article I found that protein itself does not have any side effects. You need some protein to support proper cell maintenance. However, if you go overboard and consume too much protein you may experience some of the side effects listed in this article.
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YOU FORGOT THE FIRST NAME OF THE PROTEIN. THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PROTEIN, MY FRIENDS:
VEGETAL PROTEIN
ANIMAL PROTEIN
ANIMAL PROTEIN MAKES YOUR KIDNEYS TO WORK TOO MUCH AND CREATE DISEASES, IN CHANGE, VEGETAL PROTEIN DOESN’T CREATE THE PROBLEMS YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
REMEMBER, PROTEIN IS THE MAIN NUTRIENT SO YOUR BODY NEEDS TO ANY MOLECULAR PROCESS!! YOU NEED 3.4G PER POUND PER WEIGHT! THE ONLY WAY TO CONSUME THIS AMOUNT IS BY EATING MORE VEGETAL PROTEIN. THATS WHY I LOVE HERBALIFE, IT MADE MY EATING HABITS EASIER AND HEALTHIER!
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Tom Reply:
September 5th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Hey Andre – Thanks for your comments. Not sure I agree with you though. I think taking too much of any protein (animal, vegetable, complete, incomplete) can lead to negative side effects.
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I may be disinformed or too confident about my own results
Years before I allways tried to build muscle without the need of getting fat, when so many people suggest me to eat everything I can, a few recomend me to increase my vegetal protein intake in order to build muscle, I wasn’t so sure at the beginning but after hearing 3 different doctors working for more than 20 years in nutrition I understood the value of this nutrient.
Even when vegetal protein doesnt have the same quality as animal, taking soy protein will enhance any performance you do by giving enough resources to your muscles tu build after you workout. Even in you dont work out, your muscles will be ready to any exercise you need to do.
We have to remember that our body works entirely with protein, hair, nails, skin, muscles and many other process that works inside our body needs protein!
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I just made a shake with I scoop of protein powder, I container of Greek yogurt, a banana, and a heaping tbsp of peanut butter. Water and ice cubes. I think it comes out to 58 grams of protein. I drank it all in one sitting….. Is this way too much protein for a female 124 lbs.??? I’m asking because I felt really queasy and still hungry afterwards.
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Tom Reply:
April 6th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Hi Dana. I don’t think this is too much protein too have in 1 sitting. In terms of calories from protein it’s only 232 which doesn’t seem like an overdose. However, I suppose everyone reacts differently to foods so if it continues to make you queasy you should probably stop eating it. The feelings you are experiencing may not be directly linked to the protein in these foods. It could be a reaction to the actual foods themselves. Hope this helps.
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Hello All!
I undertook research into protein intake requirements for active individuals, where I compared recommendations from 17 reputable sources from around the world.
My conclusion: males require 1.4 g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, while females require 1.2 g.
For the full article, please check out http://www.practicalfitnesstips.com/?page_id=1180.
Best regards,
Craig Walker
PracticalFitnessTips.com
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Tom Reply:
April 22nd, 2011 at 10:58 am
Thanks for the information Craig. I have heard figures similar to this before. However, I think it does vary from person to person. For example, if I am following a very low carbohydrate diet I may need more protein than this to compensate for the reduction in carbohydrate calories.
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most of this relates to meat. meat is really bad for you and our entestines are not designed for it (compare them to carnivorous and then to herbivorous) I’m sure you can consume big amounts of protein if you are bodubuilding and could increase the limit if you don’t consume meat. too much of anything is still bad though.
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Tom Reply:
August 21st, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Hi Joe. Thanks for your comments. This is quite a controversial issue – some people swear by meat whilst others share the same views as yourself. I personally eat meat but haven’t looked into this topic in depth so I will try to do a post on this topic somewhere down the line.
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