Too much protein??

skitchlu

Hi all - I would love your thoughts on this. I'm trying to eat a moderate amount of carbs and focus mostly on protein and veggies. Is there a such thing as eating too much protein? I'm trying to plan out a few small meals in a day, and by the time I tally up all the protein, I'm close to 100g. Isn't there a rule about how much protein you're supposed to eat based on your weight? Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

DisneyAddictRW

I'd like to know the same thing. I'm finding I go over on my protein almost everyday including the extra I earn from cardio. *BUMP*

sharoniballoni

I found this. Maybe it'll help...
http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Side_Effects_of_Too_Much_Protein_in_the_Diet

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There is some debate on what is a healthy amount of protein when it comes to the side effects of too much protein in the diet. Most health experts say we need between 0.8 and 1 gram of protein per kilogram of weight a day (about 7 grams per 20 pounds. So a person who weighs 150 pounds would need around 52 grams a day.

That's actually a lot of protein, but it isn't that difficult to get if you eat lean meat and fish, nuts, beans and legumes and dairy products. For instance a 6-ounce lean hamburger has about 48 grams of protein, and a cup of yogurt has about 12 grams.
Potential Side Effects of Too Much Protein in the Diet

So what happens when your diet goes far beyond the recommended level of protein, as you might do if following a high protein diet? One of the main concerns has to do with the stress put on the kidneys.

It is important for people on high protein diets to exercise, because it can help the kidneys flush wastes out of your system more effectively. Make sure you talk to your doctor before beginning a high protein diet, if you have ever experienced kidney problems.

Another issue regarding getting too much protein is leeching of calcium from the bones. The acids released by the body as it digests protein are absorbed with the help of calcium. So if you aren't getting enough calcium, your body will take calcium from your bones. The Nurses Healthy Study even showed that women who ate more than 95 grams of protein were more likely to have broken their wrist than were women who ate less protein.

There is also some evidence that eating a lot of protein can induce or aggravate allergies.

While it's a popular belief that eating too much protein causes cardiovascular disease, new research shows that a high protein diet that emphasizes vegetable sources of protein is protective to the heart. It is, though, important that you watch fat intake, because many cuts of meat are very fatty.

Research has also shown the side effects of too much protein in the diet do not include an increased risk of diabetes or cancer.

alecta337

I didn't think there was any thing as too much protein. Especially if you're working out a ton. Protein helps you rebuild your muscles so you can bounce back from being sore faster.

just my opinion ** not a doc =]

HeidiMightyRawr

I heard 1g of protein per pound of your goal weight is ideal, especially if you're exercising alot. I'm trying to get at least 100g but it's usually quite a bit more. I don't think unless you're eating loads in general and never exercising that you'd get too much, your body just flushes out any excess protein you don't need anyway

Pandorian

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/190127-too-much-protein

Set your goals, I changed mine from the default 15% to 30% which puts me where I want to be, 1/2 gram of protein per pound of body weight.

lenwie

Ow I'd be interest to see what responses you'll be getting on this topic.

jnchorn

I wonder about this too. I have been drinking two protein shakes a day with milk which add up to 66 grams of protein. With a small dinner I am getting well over 100 grams a day. I would love to know about this. I think my body cant process that much protein and causes bathroom issues, so I have cut back to one protein drink a day.

NathanBurton

I have no idea. 100 doesn't seem like that much though. MFP gives me a daily goal of 75, but im guessing its different from guys to gals.

FattieCrosby

Theoretically it might be possible but as filling as protein is with the accompanying fat you can't actually eat as much as might cause an issue. If you don't have a detectable liver issue, you shouldn't have any trouble. Especially not at 100g. That's a pretty low number.

PrimalGirl

Hello everyone
Check out this article for information on protein. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/protein-kidneys/

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Dear Mark,

I am studying to become a nurse and am taking my first nutrition class at a local college. As one of our assignments we had to record everything we ate for an entire week. After looking at my results my teacher was dumbfounded. To make a long story short, my teacher told me that I should only be eating 38 grams of protein each day, and that any more than that could harm my kidneys. I’ve been Primal for 2 years and am healthier than ever. I am 5′ 2″ and and a very lean 105 pounds. Should I be concerned?

Renee


Well, Renee, I’m sorry to break it to you, but all those subjective health markers – like being “healthier than ever,” a “very lean 105 pounds,” and satisfied enough to be “Primal for 2 years” – mean absolutely nothing because you are destroying your kidneys by exceeding your daily allotment of six ounces of animal protein. In fact, it’s highly likely that feeling good and maintaining a trim, lean figure are byproducts of impending kidney failure. The human body, you see, is a cruel practical joker dead set on destroying itself (hence the daily internal manufacturing of that poison known as cholesterol); it’s only trying to keep you pacified with regards to your health long enough for outright kidney failure to commence. You should be extremely concerned. I only hope this message reaches you in time.

Seriously, though – the notion that eating more than 0.3g protein per pound of bodyweight (which appears to be how your teacher came to her conclusion) will definitively harm human kidney function leaves me dumbfounded. I’m reminded of the time I had to take Buddha in for a quick checkup at an unfamiliar vet and the woman examining him mentioned that I’d probably want to switch him to a low-protein diet or risk certain renal failure. Because, you know, the kidneys of dogs, close relative of the carnivorous wolf, are unable to process all that meat and protein. It’s ridiculous on its face, and rather than waste a lot of space debunking what Dr. Eades calls one of the “Vampire Myths” (it just won’t die; get it?), I’ll just link to a few papers that have already done so.

There’s this one from the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, a massive review of the evidence in favor of and in opposition to the AHA’s weasel warnings about “high protein diets,” namely, that people who engage in such risky behaviors as limiting carbs and increasing protein “are [at] risk for … potential cardiac, renal, bone, and liver abnormalities overall.” Long story short: there’s far more evidence in opposition to the claim than evidence in favor of it. The AHA recommendations are at best incorrect and at worst deliberately misleading, and the sum of the actual evidence points to protein as being protective against heart disease, osteoporosis, kidney disease, and liver problems – all things protein is supposed to initiate or worsen.

Another review, this time focusing strictly on whether or not protein intake can precipitate kidney disease in healthy people, is even better. I mean, that’s the important thing, isn’t it? If we want to exonerate or condemn protein, we must study its effects on healthy kidneys. We have to see if it creates problems rather than potentially worsens them. And, according to the exhaustive analysis of Martin et al, there exists no evidence that protein intake negatively influences renal health in otherwise healthy, active individuals. There is some evidence that already impaired renal function might worsen with increased protein, but the experts, as is their wont, can’t resist applying the same recommendations to everyone, regardless of renal health. The result is a nutrition teacher sowing misinformation across the student body in an introductory course, i.e. one that is intended to establish foundational knowledge that the students will carry on through life as a cornerstone of their thinking.

Simply put, healthy kidneys can handle plenty of protein; heck, they are meant to handle protein. One of their primary functions is to process the metabolic waste that results from protein metabolism. Yeah, protein “works” the kidneys, but that’s what they’re there for! Strength training works the muscles. You might even say it strains them. But is that a problem? Compromised kidneys in patients with renal disease (either full-blown or still in development) may not be able to handle as much protein as healthy kidneys, but even that’s up in the air – and protein is not the cause of the problem.

So what causes kidney disease, if not too many deck of cards-sized pieces of deadly animal protein in the diet?

The top two conditions responsible for chronic kidney disease (CKD) are, respectively, diabetes (45% of CKD cases) and hypertension, or high blood pressure.”Even” the Wikipedia entry on renal failure fails to mention “excess protein in the diet” as a cause (even potentially) of CKD. If you have CKD, chances are fairly high that you’re either diabetic, hypertensive, or both.

You know what’s even better? High-protein diets, when compared to the high-carb diet commonly recommended, improve glucose tolerance and blood sugar control in type 2 diabetics without changing kidney function. And, since type 2 diabetes often leads to CKD and is characterized partly by poor glucose tolerance and blood sugar control, you might even say that eating more protein is actually protective against renal failure.

As for hypertension, the latest systematic review concludes that more protein in the diet seems to correlate with lower, or at least normalized, blood pressure in humans. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything definitive, but it’s certainly interesting, and it doesn’t support the standard position.

Of course! Anyway, unless it’ll compromise your grade in the class, I’d speak up about it. Engage your teacher, for without disagreement, especially when warranted, there can be no progress. At the very least, defend your stance, perhaps wielding the aforementioned papers, and by all means: don’t feel the need to limit yourself to 38 grams of protein per day! While that may be adequate – that is, you’ll live – you definitely have room for more.

You need protein for a number of reasons:

It’s required for good skeletal health; contrary to what many vegetarians will scream, animal protein doesn’t leach calcium from the bones, leading to osteoporosis. In fact, inadequate protein intake is a huge risk for the debilitating bone disease.

It provides amino acids, which play multiple roles in the human body. They act as building blocks for most bodily structures, including hair, organs, skin, and muscles. Using amino acids, we build new tissue and repair damaged tissue. Lifting weights “damages” muscle tissue; we repair the damage with amino acids. Amino acids also act as precursors to hormones and neurotransmitters, like serotonin (the amino acid tryptophan) and dopamine (the amino acid tyrosine).

It’s good for quality of life, especially in the later years where folks are more susceptible to skeletal muscle wasting. You try keeping up with your grandkids while experiencing severe systemic muscle atrophy!

It’s good for satiety. Younger and older men eating 1g protein per kg of bodyweight had greater satiation than similarly aged men eating either 0.75g/kg or 0.5g/kg, and they reported a superior ability to stick to an eating plan.

(Animal protein is best, of course. A recent study found that due to reduced bioavailability of plant protein, vegetarians should probably increase their total protein intake to make up for the deficiency.)

Most people don’t need a ton of protein. If asked, I say I eat roughly 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, but it’s not something I’m militant about and I’m no longer hitting the weights like I used to. I just eat to satiety. Since it’s a satiating macronutrient, I find there’s a natural, relatively organic limit to how much pure protein I even want. Lean chicken breasts? I’m lucky if I can get through a whole one. A nice juicy grass-fed ribeye festooned with fat? I’m licking the plate.

Other people will need more protein. Highly active athletes, Crossfitters, powerlifters, folks trying to gain mass and strength, folks trying to lose a bunch of weight – they all can benefit from an increased protein intake, either by increasing satiety (thus improving diet adherence) or providing amino acids for muscle recovery and repair. One gram or protein per pound of lean body mass is a good average number to shoot for over a range of a few days.

Renee, if you’re feeling good with your current level (how much protein are you eating, by the way?), you’re performing well, you’re lean (and you apparently are), and you’re healthy (free of diabetes and hypertension), I don’t see any reason to curtail your protein intake. And certainly not because it’s going to destroy your kidneys. There is some contention that protein restriction (or protein cycling) can extend lifespan, but as I said in the fasting post, I’d rather have a fantastic quality of life (which for me means plenty of lean mass, plenty of physical activity, and plenty of meat on my plate) than live a few extra, protein-restricted years.

I hope this proves helpful for your situation – though I’d hesitate to even classify it as a real “situation.” I wouldn’t worry.

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Hope this helps. I've been following the Paleo lifestyle since the start of december 2010 and have lost 18lbs so far, so i promise you it works!

skitchlu

Thanks everyone for your comments and resources - this is so helpful. So I've just updated my goals to decrease my carbs to 25% and increase my protein to 50%, which is about 0.7 grams of protein per pound of my current body weight (which is a lot of protein!). I think I'll try it out for a few weeks and see how it goes. I do get a fairly decent amount of exercise, so hopefully it won't be too stressful on my kidneys!

kimmerroze

I bumped mine up... I hear somewhere that you can really eat as much protein as you want, just make sure to stay right around 25 grams of protein per meal. any more than that and your liver will start having to work extra hard to process the protein.... but you should be fine! ESPECIALLY if you are weight lifting!

leslielove

You're only going to "stress your kidneys" if you're eating 100's of grams of protein a day. I average over 100 grams a day and I'm not dead.

Go with the .08g/pound of body weight and you'll be fine, especially if you're doing any kind of regular, legitimate exercise.

tamiller93

I didn't think there was any thing as too much protein. Especially if you're working out a ton. Protein helps you rebuild your muscles so you can bounce back from being sore faster.

just my opinion ** not a doc =]

I talked to a trainer over the weekend about this. He told me that for my weight (146) and the amount of time I spend working out (I run 6 days a week amounting to about 20 miles total) that I need about 95 grams daily. He has a computer program that figures this. He asked my height, weight, workouts, age and found that I was not getting enough protein.

shaunshaikh

50% protein is a bit extreme. Most people that workout a lot seem to choose 30-35% of their calories from protein. If you don't workout, then you would want less.

Lushcious

I was just wondering the same thing.I am always going over my protein or over my carbs.And still not meeting my calorie needs.I feel like i'm eating really healty food.Chicken,yogurt,fruits,veggies...And then i'm finding that to get all of my calories i'm snacking on alot of fruits.But then i go over in my carbs.i don't know what to do.

darthpistachio

1 gram of protein per KG of bodyweight is the recommended amount.

Body builders and strength athletes and anyone putting a lot of work into their workouts usually aim for a 'MAXIMUM' of 2g per Kg of protein daily.

Having more than 25 grams approx of protein in a single meal is a bit pointless as any more than that will [a] more than likely not be absorbed leading to an upset stomach and bowels and put stress on Liver and Kidneys.

Therefore if you supplement with protein shakes for example if you have bought one that claims 30 g or more per serving - acknowledge it's marketing hype - unnecessary and cut down your serving to suit - will save you money and make it last longer too!

You also need some natural fats to fully absorb the protein eaten and carbs along with it will provide the best benefit.

For breakfast I tend to have a whey/milk/egg protein shake with a banana and a handful of fruit nut mix from asda ;o)

PrimalGirl

I was just wondering the same thing.I am always going over my protein or over my carbs.And still not meeting my calorie needs.I feel like i'm eating really healty food.Chicken,yogurt,fruits,veggies...And then i'm finding that to get all of my calories i'm snacking on alot of fruits.But then i go over in my carbs.i don't know what to do.

Hi Lushcious, who cares if you're under your calorie goal? This website is a tracker to make sure you don't go OVER your goals. If you're under, then great! You'll lose weight faster.
My recommended allowance is 1230 calories per day - I tend to eat around 850, but go over on my fat and protein. I'm losing weight steadily. Fat is good for you, protein is good for you, carbs should be limited and calories essentially don't matter. Don't overeat just to get to your calorie limit - it won't benefit you.

darthpistachio

The recommended allowance is a MINIMUM target that you should aim for not a MAXIMUM allowable for the day. For FAT loss the maintenance amount is the MAXIMUM.

an intake of just 850 is going to prove highly detrimental for you in the long run...

With such a low calorie intake your are more than likely digesting muscle tissue - your body is designed primarily to survive and such low figures mean it will initially sacrifice lean muscle tissue before fat reserves, muscle is easier to convert to glucogen than body fat and that is what will be sacrificed first. Your weight loss is more than likely the result of such loss of lean muscle tissue.

As a by product your metabolism will slow down - your body's response in order to PRESERVE fat stores because it thinks you are being starved... and your body will enter starvation mode and begin burning calories far slower during the day. Any extra calories introduced later on in your life will be biased towards being stored as fat by your metabolism and you will ultimately quickly put on all that "fat" you lost this time round. Only you will be left with less muscle mass and you may end up "skinny fat" as a result. Muscle is a metabolically expensive asset - the more muscle tissue you have the more calories you burn daily just to stay alive - you need to preserve or grow your lean muscle mass to keep that fat off in the long run...

an extra 1lb of muscle can yield 6 more calories burned per hour per day at rest doing nothing and up to 35 calories extra burned during exercise (cited in athletes).

It's also worth considering that a consistent steady restricted intake to approx 1400 calories daily for example can still eventually fool your body into thinking it's being starved and a good way to trick it into "thinking" it isn't is to aim for a 1.5lb weight per week and on two days have at least 500 calories extra during the day. Your body will be under the impression that there are still plenty of bountiful days with regards to the diet and maintain the metabolism at a nice consistent high level.

Remember 2lbs of fat per week is the recommended maximum to lose steadily over a long duration - 2lbs of fat equates to approx 7,000 calories. Which means that a daily deficit of 1,000 calories per day should result in a loss of 2lbs per week. That's 4.5 ounces a day - more simply put each 250 calorie deficit is approximately 1 oz.

The absolute minimum calories recommended for an average sedentary woman daily is 1,200 and a man 1,400. any less than that really does not glean a benefit and in the 800 range it brings additional long term problems such as unstable hearth rhythms amongst many others...

You should aim to hit your minimum calorie target every day and stay below your maintenance - which would be the intake that produced no loss or gain - anything under your maintenance will be a fat loss in the long run - strive to meet your minimum and at least very close to it - if you err consistently by about 100-200 calories over the minimum don't fret - it just means that that week instead of 2lbs fat lost you'd lose 1lb 10oz instead - not such a big deal and still a lot of weight lost!

In your profile adjust your protein intake to approximate 1g per KG of bodyweight - the carbs and fat will ratio up automatically. Try and meet your protein requirements for the day as best you can and watch your sources of carbs - try and make them natural complex carbs - avoid potatoes, all white bread and keep pasta's to a minimum.

lexmarie45

Herbalife has a product called Aminogen, you could try it. It helps your body break down proteins into amino acids. You should try the Herbalife shake mix, you should be able to drink 2 shakes a day without too many problems. I am an Herbalife Independent Distributor, you could find one in your area.