Too much protein???

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Eating too much protein can cause liver and heart problems, as well as weight gain.


Every cell and organ in your body needs protein, but taking in too much of it can cause unpleasant symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. You could also develop more serious problems, as excessive protein leads to a buildup of amino acids, insulin or ammonia in your blood stream, according to Australian researchers who published a review paper in "International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism" in 2006. For optimal health, get only the recommended amount of protein from nutritious, low-fat, low-cholesterol food sources.


Weight Gain

Your body can only use a certain amount of protein each day. If you take in too much protein, you may gain weight. Each gram of protein has 4 calories. If you take in 100 grams of protein, but your body can only use 50 grams of it, your body will store the extra 200 calories' worth of protein as fat. Doing this daily can cause you to take in 1,400 extra calories per week, resulting in a weight gain of almost 2 pounds per month.
Reduced Liver and Brain Function

An excessive protein intake can be harmful to your liver, brain and nervous system. When you eat protein, your body produces ammonia, a toxin that your liver makes harmless, according to Medline Plus. Eating too much protein over a long period of time can cause your liver to become overworked, allowing ammonia and other toxic substances to build up in your bloodstream. This can lead to hepatic encephalopathy, a condition marked by a decline in brain and nervous system function.
High Cholesterol

Many high-protein foods, particularly from animal sources, contain an abundance of cholesterol, which contributes to the development of hardened arteries that can lead to serious medical conditions, such as heart attack and stroke. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends limiting your cholesterol intake to no more than 200 milligrams per day, but a 6-ounce broiled porterhouse steak has 126 milligrams of cholesterol and half a roasted chicken breast has 83 milligrams of cholesterol. Eating too much animal protein can cause you to exceed the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's guidelines, putting you at risk for dangerous conditions.
Recommended Protein Intake

The Institute of Medicine recommends that protein-rich foods represent 10 to 35 percent of the calories you take in. The average woman should get about 46 grams of protein a day and men should get about 56 grams of protein daily. Active people need more protein than sedentary people, so if you engage in moderate to vigorous exercise on a regular basis, talk to your doctor to see if you should increase your protein intake.


References

Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes - Macronutrients
International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism: A Review of Issues of Dietary Protein Intake in Humans
Medline Plus: Hepatic Encephalopathy
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol With TLC
USDA Nutrient Database: Broiled Porterhouse Steak
USDA Nutrient Database: Roasted Chicken Breast