How much protein is too much protein??

1ocean1girl

I started adding protein bars into my diet... I have a protein shake for breakfast, a protein snack bar mid morning and a protein meal bar for lunch. I noticed lately I've been feeling very nauseous mid afternoon; could too much protein be the reason?

JeromeBarry1

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/dangers-of-too-much-protein

How many grams of protein are in your shake, your snack bar, and your meal bar, and how far apart are those events in time? What is your weight in lb?

However, it appears that there is no upper limit.

chelseakayemacias

There is no UL on protein, although eating too much can cause issues with your kidneys. I would suggest eating max 115 g per day. It ultimately depends on how much you weigh! Make sure you watch for added sugar in those shakes!m and bars! You can send me a message and I can help you figure it out!

doittoitgirl

Is that all you eat all morning? If you're only having a shake and two protein bars as meals, you could be getting nauseous because you need to eat more. I know if that's all i ate all morning Id get nauseous by midafternoon.

Also, what kind of protein are they? I used to have a whey protein powder brand that disagreed with me in the morning and my hubby tried a pea protein one that upset him. So we did some trial and error and discovered a nondairy brand and never had a problem after that.

shadow2soul

My guess, if that's all your eating, then the nausea is from lack of food.

I do sometimes use a protein shake at breakfast. I add oats to mine. If I'm not in to big of a hurry, I will have fruit or almonds with it.

A morning snack is sometimes a protein bar or shake with fruit. Or this morning I had toast and bacon (I work in a restraunt).

Point is I never use a protein shake or bar as a meal on it's own. There just isn't enough to them. A snack sure, but never as a full meal.

Christine_72

How much protein are you averaging?

Lillymoo01

Too much protein can cause kidney problems, weight gain, nausea and even a shorter life span but this is if the majority of ypur protein is from animal sources. The recommendations are 0.8 - 1 grams per kilo of body weight for the average person (0.35 - 0.45 grams per pound).Unless you are training for the olympics kind of active or professional bodybuilders we really don't need much more than that. Not having enough protein is something most of us don't have a problem with.

Christine_72

Lillymoo01 wrote: »

Too much protein can cause kidney problems, weight gain, nausea and even a shorter life span but this is if the majority of ypur protein is from animal sources. The recommendations are 0.8 - 1 grams per kilo of body weight for the average person (0.35 - 0.45 grams per pound).Unless you are training for the olympics kind of active or professional bodybuilders we really don't need much more than that. Not having enough protein is something most of us don't have a problem with.

Those numbers must be the bare bones minimum? ?

I'd have to make a concerted effort to get my protein down that low.

PAV8888

Christine_72 wrote: »

Lillymoo01 wrote: »

Too much protein can cause kidney problems, weight gain, nausea and even a shorter life span but this is if the majority of ypur protein is from animal sources. The recommendations are 0.8 - 1 grams per kilo of body weight for the average person (0.35 - 0.45 grams per pound).Unless you are training for the olympics kind of active or professional bodybuilders we really don't need much more than that. Not having enough protein is something most of us don't have a problem with.

Those numbers must be the bare bones minimum? ?
I'd have to make a concerted effort to get my protein down that low.

Actually those numbers are the normal RDA levels Christine.

The suggestion that people may want to aim for higher protein levels that you see people, including myself, often make on MFP, are because of a combination of the following reasons:

a) There are a number of studies that indicate that eating additional protein protects lean mass in a deficit, at least in the short term. The level this protective effect appear to maximise at, according to most sources, is at around 2x the RDA level. Some studies have found protective effects at a level as high as 3x RDA.

b) A lot of people find protein satiating and satiation is important for compliance and compliance is important for achieving our goals.

c) Absent a known or hidden health concern or issue with one's kidneys it seems that the chance of negative side effects from excessive protein consumption (if saturated fats are controlled) is relatively low.

d) People who are bulking actually require slightly less protein than people in trying to achieve a protective effect on lean mass in a deficit. Nevertheless, the levels for bulking that have long been thought as appropriate by the bodybuilding community and which have been supported by a number of studies on athletes also seem to hover / peak around the 2x RDA level.

Protein requirements, of course, are best expressed as grams per lb of lean mass. Lean mass is difficult to determine so often bodyweight is used instead, assuming a "normal" weight person. This comes into play when people who are more than a little overweight try to hit their suggested levels of protein based on their current bodyweight.

I would submit that people should express their protein requirements as grams per lb or kg within the normal weight range as that would be an adequate proxy for lean mass for people who are not using performance enhancing drugs.

1ocean1girl

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/dangers-of-too-much-protein

How many grams of protein are in your shake, your snack bar, and your meal bar, and how far apart are those events in time? What is your weight in lb?

However, it appears that there is no upper limit.

The shake has 20 grams of protein, the bars range from 12-10gram. I eat about every 2 hours (sometimes longer between if work is busy.) I am currently 227; working in losing 80lbs.

1ocean1girl

Thank you everyone for your advise