No, your NOT eating too much protein!

jamie1888

I pulled this from the article that I posted earlier. I see this question come up quite often.



Myth #1: Too much protein hurts your kidneys
Reality: Protein helps burn fat, build muscle, and won’t harm your kidneys at all

Way back in 1983, researchers discovered that eating more protein increases the amount of blood your kidneys filter per minute. Many scientists immediately made the leap that a high-protein diet places your kidneys under greater stress. They were proven wrong. Over the past two decades, several studies have found that while protein-rich meals do increase blood flow to the kidneys, this doesn't have an adverse effect on overall kidney function.

Put the Truth to Work for You: Eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily. For example, if you're a chubby 180-pound woman and want to be a lean 160, have 160 grams of protein a day. If you're a 160-pound guy hoping to pack on 20 pounds of muscle, aim for 180 grams each day.

source:
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/15-worst-health-diet-myths

xtina1982

great information...thanks for sharing! :happy:

udallmom101

Thank you for this article. I always feel bad if I go over on my protein, even though I know it's not a big deal. Thanks!

jamie1888

Protein is the one that I don't worry about at all! If you look at the tip in the article, "Eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily", chances are, you aren't coming anywhere near that even when you exceed your protein goal for the day. Most people have their protein goals set too low in my opinion. (aside from those with health issues and that may have other reasons to keep their protein levels low.)

SHBoss1673

yeah, I have some problems with this article. No research cited at all, just "research says" type statements. I find it irresponsible for a journalist to say "research shows" but not show the research or at least let people know you can get it for them.

also, some of his medical information is just plain wrong. I.E.

"Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn't raise your level of insulin—a hormone that signals your body to store fat. "

um, no, insulin doesn't signal the body to do any such thing. In fact, insulin is the hormone that tells the body to take glucose from the blood to use as energy. If insulin were bad, diabetics wouldn't inject it to manage their disease.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3989


What about that statement about fiber "More fiber is better, but 38 is nearly impossible
That's the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine."

Who is this Institute of Medicine? I've been studying health and nutrition for over 3 years now and this is the first time I've heard them mentioned. the USDA recommends 25 grams a day for adult women, as do most Registered Dietitians. 38 grams is pretty high, I've never heard of someone recommending that much before.
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/dietaryguidelines/2005/2005DGpolicydocument.pdf


the diet soda myth, I've heard that one. What he says about sugary tasting foods is also a myth. If you wanted to rail against artificial sweeteners because there hasn't been enough long term testing, fine, but not because tests have inconclusively suggested that you may be more prone to wanting sugar because you eat sugar substitutes. Again he says " but emerging research suggests". First, whenever you hear something about "emerging research", take it with a grain of salt. Because research is only as good as the ability to recreate the results on a regular basis, until it can be reproduced it is simply a hypothesis. And again he talks about research but offers up no research to prove his point.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/53/4/872.abstract?sid=7304ce05-d7ad-4710-a2c5-99af302cd122

I come from a science background. And what was drilled into your head in college was always do the research, and ALWAYS repeat the results. If you can't repeat it, it isn't a real result. Thus, 1 study that is not correlated by others, is no proof at all, it's just an interesting supposition.

OK some of the things he says here are things I agree with. But that's part of the problem. How does the average person separate the two. Because I've done tons of research I know how to distinguish between hard fact and supposition. But most people can't. Unless it's backed by something harder than "research shows", always look at it with a skeptical eye. If you can find independent verification of it from a reputable source, great, then it's probably true, otherwise, I'd be wary of believing in it.

amycal

I read this too and a lot of other things that recommend high protein. Does anyone have a list or chart or foods by protein? I know besides meat that eggs, beans and quinoa are high in protein. I would love more ideas for snacks for those times I am hungry, have calories to eat and want to focus on protein.

chocolatnoir

yeah, I have some problems with this article. No research cited at all, just "research says" type statements. I find it irresponsible for a journalist to say "research shows" but not show the research or at least let people know you can get it for them.

also, some of his medical information is just plain wrong. I.E.

"Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn't raise your level of insulin—a hormone that signals your body to store fat. "

um, no, insulin doesn't signal the body to do any such thing. In fact, insulin is the hormone that tells the body to take glucose from the blood to use as energy. If insulin were bad, diabetics wouldn't inject it to manage their disease.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3989


What about that statement about fiber "More fiber is better, but 38 is nearly impossible
That's the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine."

Who is this Institute of Medicine? I've been studying health and nutrition for over 3 years now and this is the first time I've heard them mentioned. the USDA recommends 25 grams a day for adult women, as do most Registered Dietitians. 38 grams is pretty high, I've never heard of someone recommending that much before.
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/dietaryguidelines/2005/2005DGpolicydocument.pdf


the diet soda myth, I've heard that one. What he says about sugary tasting foods is also a myth. If you wanted to rail against artificial sweeteners because there hasn't been enough long term testing, fine, but not because tests have inconclusively suggested that you may be more prone to wanting sugar because you eat sugar substitutes. Again he says " but emerging research suggests". First, whenever you hear something about "emerging research", take it with a grain of salt. Because research is only as good as the ability to recreate the results on a regular basis, until it can be reproduced it is simply a hypothesis. And again he talks about research but offers up no research to prove his point.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/53/4/872.abstract?sid=7304ce05-d7ad-4710-a2c5-99af302cd122

I come from a science background. And what was drilled into your head in college was always do the research, and ALWAYS repeat the results. If you can't repeat it, it isn't a real result. Thus, 1 study that is not correlated by others, is no proof at all, it's just an interesting supposition.

OK some of the things he says here are things I agree with. But that's part of the problem. How does the average person separate the two. Because I've done tons of research I know how to distinguish between hard fact and supposition. But most people can't. Unless it's backed by something harder than "research shows", always look at it with a skeptical eye. If you can find independent verification of it from a reputable source, great, then it's probably true, otherwise, I'd be wary of believing in it.

Do you know if it is bad to eat more than 25g of Fiber a day? A few weeks ago (after your advice to eat more veggies) I started eating a lot more salads and fruit and my fiber intake is anywhere from 25-40 g a day now.

jimmydeanbakker

Too much fiber usually causes a lot of gas. I guess that can be bad when just starting a new relationship.

rclemens1221

yeah, I have some problems with this article. No research cited at all, just "research says" type statements. I find it irresponsible for a journalist to say "research shows" but not show the research or at least let people know you can get it for them.

also, some of his medical information is just plain wrong. I.E.

"Beef jerky is high in protein and doesn't raise your level of insulin—a hormone that signals your body to store fat. "

um, no, insulin doesn't signal the body to do any such thing. In fact, insulin is the hormone that tells the body to take glucose from the blood to use as energy. If insulin were bad, diabetics wouldn't inject it to manage their disease.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3989


What about that statement about fiber "More fiber is better, but 38 is nearly impossible
That's the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine."

Who is this Institute of Medicine? I've been studying health and nutrition for over 3 years now and this is the first time I've heard them mentioned. the USDA recommends 25 grams a day for adult women, as do most Registered Dietitians. 38 grams is pretty high, I've never heard of someone recommending that much before.
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/publications/dietaryguidelines/2005/2005DGpolicydocument.pdf


the diet soda myth, I've heard that one. What he says about sugary tasting foods is also a myth. If you wanted to rail against artificial sweeteners because there hasn't been enough long term testing, fine, but not because tests have inconclusively suggested that you may be more prone to wanting sugar because you eat sugar substitutes. Again he says " but emerging research suggests". First, whenever you hear something about "emerging research", take it with a grain of salt. Because research is only as good as the ability to recreate the results on a regular basis, until it can be reproduced it is simply a hypothesis. And again he talks about research but offers up no research to prove his point.

http://www.ajcn.org/content/53/4/872.abstract?sid=7304ce05-d7ad-4710-a2c5-99af302cd122

I come from a science background. And what was drilled into your head in college was always do the research, and ALWAYS repeat the results. If you can't repeat it, it isn't a real result. Thus, 1 study that is not correlated by others, is no proof at all, it's just an interesting supposition.

OK some of the things he says here are things I agree with. But that's part of the problem. How does the average person separate the two. Because I've done tons of research I know how to distinguish between hard fact and supposition. But most people can't. Unless it's backed by something harder than "research shows", always look at it with a skeptical eye. If you can find independent verification of it from a reputable source, great, then it's probably true, otherwise, I'd be wary of believing in it.

For someone with a science background, you should know that, Men under 50, 38 grams of fiber per day....Men over 50, 30 grams of fiber per day.....Women under 50, 25 grams of fiber per day.........Women over 50, 21 grams of fiber per day

chocolatnoir

Ha ha, I haven't had that problem yet so maybe I'm in the clear.

Sporty98

"Eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily"......That makes figuring out how much you should have so much easier! Thanks! Great info!

SHBoss1673

For someone with a science background, you should know that, Men under 50, 38 grams of fiber per day....Men over 50, 30 grams of fiber per day.....Women under 50, 25 grams of fiber per day.........Women over 50, 21 grams of fiber per day

I'm not really sure why you would write this at all. I specifically stated in the reply that 25 was for Adult women.

it's 30 to 38. 38 being the TOP end for men. I've never met a RD who recommended 38 unless there was a specific medical reason. Most recommend meeting the minimum and don't really care if you do more unless there's a need for it. Not sure what having a science background would have to do with this though. This has nothing to do with it. They don't cover nutrition in Chemical Engineering. At least they didn't when I went to school.

mswells70

Eating too much protein - just like eating too much of any nutrient, including carbohydrates and fat - have a negative effect on the body. If too much was okay, there would be no suggested limits on how much protein a person needs. As a registered dietitian (RD), we were definitely taught in college that the average person needs 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight. There are some conditions that require our body to use and need more - stress to the body like something has been damaged and needs to rebuild. But, other than that, your body has to get rid of excess protein. There is nothing your body can do with excess - except store it or get rid of it. Also, it's so important where you get your information from - especially on the internet. Refer to sites that professionals (dietitians and doctors) provide the information. Try the American Dietetic Association's website (eatright.org) or government websites (mypyramid.gov) or sites like the American Heart Association. The information is much more reliable.

jamie1888

Geez people.... lighten up!
This post is for those that worry about eating too much protein when their goals are most likely set too low anyway! If a good, recommended amount is eating your ideal body weight in grams and you have your protein goal set to 50grams, you ARE NOT eating too much protein when you eat 70 - 100grams.

jimmydeanbakker

Um... I've never read anywhere that said eat your body weight in protein per day. That's too much protein. The body only processes about 40 grams of protein at a time; and if you eat more than that in one meal, the rest just passes through the body.

Amount of protein needed = weight in lbs/2.2 X .8 to 1.8

or

Amount of protein needed = 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories\4.

if I weighed 200 pounds, sedentary, and didn't exercise, I would calculate my protein like this. 200/2.2 X .8 = 73 Grams

or

if I ate approximately 2200 calories a day, sedentary, and didn't exercise, I could calculate my protein like this. 2200 * .13 / 4 = 71.5

It's not that the human body can't handle eating your body weight in protein, but it would be a waste of money since it won't process all that protein.

A lot of people simply say weight/2.2 = the amount of protein needed. This is pretty much the standard.

SHBoss1673

I've seen the 1 gram / lb idea before. Usually on body building sites. I don't agree that you need that much, but I've seen it floated out there. On the other hand, for some people that's fine.

For instance, for me, I do about 30% protein, 20% fat and 50% carbs, that comes to about 207 Grams of protein, OVER 1 g / lb
But I do quite a bit of weight training and resistance work and am in a state of active muscle building, so my requirements differ from others.

I've seen it as high as 2 g / lb on some sites, but I don't subscribe to that at all. generally I tell people that between 15% and 35% is fine, and leave it at that, letting them decide on what fits their lifestyle in that range.

jamie1888

:yawn:

jimmydeanbakker

I've seen the 1 gram / lb idea before. Usually on body building sites. I don't agree that you need that much, but I've seen it floated out there. On the other hand, for some people that's fine.

For instance, for me, I do about 30% protein, 20% fat and 50% carbs, that comes to about 207 Grams of protein, OVER 1 g / lb
But I do quite a bit of weight training and resistance work and am in a state of active muscle building, so my requirements differ from others.

I've seen it as high as 2 g / lb on some sites, but I don't subscribe to that at all. generally I tell people that between 15% and 35% is fine, and leave it at that, letting them decide on what fits their lifestyle in that range.

Yeah. You're eating a serious amount of protein. You're greater than your weight/2.2 X 1.8.

geoffsroote

See this is the problem with diets/nutrionalists! Who has the definitive answers?! NO ONE!

Know why? Because not everyone has the same physical makeup, and what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for the other. Bodies produce different amounts of everything, so each person needs to spend time and figure out what works for them, and keeps them in their optimal health.

There isn't a set amount of anything for you to eat, or a certain wonder vitamin or supplement to take.

I've always lived by the more out than in rule, and when I'm disciplined enough to do it, I see results, the problem is making it a permanent part of my life.

Believing what you read on the internet is extremely dangerous. The credentials of the person writing it are hardly ever called into question, because they're only posting it, thus a 1 way connection.

If you want to know what you need to do, talk to your doctor, get a blood test and have him/her analyze it. Please, stop with the numbers and propaganda on here, it's not helping anyone and could hurt somebody!

rose1617

MFP has me at 214 g of protein per day at 30 carbs/40 protein/30 fat.
That always seemed like a lot to me. It's over 1.5 times 1g/lb. Oh well... couldn't really get up there if I tried after several protein shakes and lots of chicken lol.

Thanks all for the input.

jimmydeanbakker

It's not one gram of protein per pound of weight. It's one gram of protein for your weight converted to kilograms. Your weight\2.2 is how much protein the average person needs.

Shawnalee0703

I've seen the 1 gram / lb idea before. Usually on body building sites. I don't agree that you need that much, but I've seen it floated out there. On the other hand, for some people that's fine.

For instance, for me, I do about 30% protein, 20% fat and 50% carbs, that comes to about 207 Grams of protein, OVER 1 g / lb
But I do quite a bit of weight training and resistance work and am in a state of active muscle building, so my requirements differ from others.

I've seen it as high as 2 g / lb on some sites, but I don't subscribe to that at all. generally I tell people that between 15% and 35% is fine, and leave it at that, letting them decide on what fits their lifestyle in that range.

Yeah. You're eating a serious amount of protein. You're greater than your weight/2.2 X 1.8.

THANK YOU!!! Lol It is NOT per lb is it per KG!!!!! This calculation is EVERYWHERE and it works for me! That's what I know!
DUDE above, if you enter those percentages in with your calories it would NOT be 207g of protein... unless you are eating almost 3000 calories! I also do 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat... which is roughly 100g protein. I am NOT 100lbslol

Shawnalee0703

MFP has me at 214 g of protein per day at 30 carbs/40 protein/30 fat.
That always seemed like a lot to me. It's over 1.5 times 1g/lb. Oh well... couldn't really get up there if I tried after several protein shakes and lots of chicken lol.

Thanks all for the input.

This seems inaccurate. Unless you are eating nearly 3000 calories.... which you could be. Check your math again. Mine is at 30% and I am on a 1500 calorie diet... I eat around 100g of protein a day and I build muscle VERY quickly would a woman.

Shawnalee0703

It's not one gram of protein per pound of weight. It's one gram of protein for your weight converted to kilograms. Your weight\2.2 is how much protein the average person needs.

YES I second THAT! And then you multiply THAT number by your "activity level" .8-1.8. I multiply mine by 1.4 as I am "inbetween" in my activity level but I still train regularly.

Sorry for the multi-posts. I am not arguing whether too much protein is good or bad. But if you are going to follow a calculation- check your math.