The Problem with Protein?

mrykyldy2

Too much protein can cause problems with your kidneys and make constipate you. The more protein you eat, the more water you will want to drink to help push things through your system. If you have issues with passing your stools then you are begining to get constipated.

ShannonGo

I'd fire your dietician if I were you.

This. I am losing weight getting 140g each of carb and protein and 31g of Fat (40-40-20) and I cannot imagine eating only 800 calories. My diet is dietitian supervised too.

impyimpyaj

So what's the problem with a lot of protein? I eat lots of tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, and peanut butter, and go over the limit pretty much every day. Why is it bad?

Unless you have a metabolic disorder that dictates keeping your protein low, there's nothing wrong with lots of protein. Just make sure you're also eating plenty of veggies so you can get enough fiber.

lauren3382

I love protein. My diary shows it

d2footballJRC

I have my goal set at 800 calories but should be getting 900 calories a day.

I just did the math on how you calculated out my calories and thank you very much for that info.

So Protein and Carbs is 4 calories per gram and Fat is 9 calories per gram? I knew about the Fat but not about the other two.

I hope you are lying about a dietician. I was going to say 900 cals is ultra low unless you are very short and not very active. Your ticker shows you still have a bit of weight to go which means that you are going to need more than 900 cals a day. If a dietician told you that, they are not doing you any favors.

davidr730

From Livestrong.com and the CDC

Protein Eaten in Excess

The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily. For adults, that tends to be approximately 50 g of protein daily and 63 g for males daily. This number can change dependent on exercise, trauma, or disease and is not a recommended amount. The American Heart Association states that eating too much animal protein can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. High protein diets can cause weight loss due to excessive water loss and fat not being efficiently broken down completely. This can cause problems with brain function and kidney functions. High amounts of protein can also cause kidney stones and gout.

LorinaLynn

From Livestrong.com and the CDC

Protein Eaten in Excess

The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily.

Which means that the 50g you quoted for women is based on the minimum 10% of a recommended 2000 calorie a day diet, or 63g is 10% of the recommended 2500 calories for men.

I aim for about 25%, well within the CDC recommendation... I average between 1600-2000 calories, so that's between 100-125g. It's not excessive in the least.

Hendrix7

From Livestrong.com and the CDC

Protein Eaten in Excess

The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily. For adults, that tends to be approximately 50 g of protein daily and 63 g for males daily. This number can change dependent on exercise, trauma, or disease and is not a recommended amount. The American Heart Association states that eating too much animal protein can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. High protein diets can cause weight loss due to excessive water loss and fat not being efficiently broken down completely. This can cause problems with brain function and kidney functions. High amounts of protein can also cause kidney stones and gout.

hmmmmmm , that doesn't really help or clarify anything though.

It states they are not recommended amounts, so their reference of 50g for women and 63g for men is really useless in such isolation with no idea of the intended individuals height/age/weight.

Also doesn't go into
- What their recommendation is for people who are actively exercising
- What they actually consider a 'high protein diet'

Overall it's too vague for any real conclusions to be made from this.

this is a good, although stupidly long video on the subject which references all of these things plus more recent studies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFObr7rc1kA

mideon_696

I have my goal set at 800 calories but should be getting 900 calories a day.

I just did the math on how you calculated out my calories and thank you very much for that info.

So Protein and Carbs is 4 calories per gram and Fat is 9 calories per gram? I knew about the Fat but not about the other two.

Yeah that's not enough. Just not enough.

BAMFMeredith

I find that MFP's macro percentages are kinda off, for me anyway. I reset mine to 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fats and that works WAY better for me.

laserturkey

I have problems with my kidneys if I have too much protein, and I don't want to end up on dialysis like my mother did. Going over SOME in protein is not a big deal, but if I ate a high protein diet all the time, I would soon be in real medical trouble!

ghjklo9

Theres nothing wrong with lots of protein. Who told you that? Just dont go over your calories and dont forget to eat enough fat.

gjulie

well for me I eat 6 times a day and I have a bit of protein with all my meals,I feel fuller longer there isint any harm as long as you dont have underlieing kidney problems so I would say eat what suits you

hpsnickers1

It's not bad. It's important.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/protein-kidneys/

and a few more interesting ones about protein:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/protein-amounts-in-food/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-how-much-protein-can-you-absorb-and-use-from-one-meal/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/protein-satiety/#axzz22OcdSi00

And for the vegetarians who might be interested in making sure you get enough (you folks have to eat more food to get decent amounts of protein and have to make sure you're getting complete essential proteins. (i.e. 4oz of meat has roughly the same amount of protein as in 4 bowls of oatmeal
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/vegetarian-protein/#axzz22OcdSi00

You can search MDA for all kinds of information on protein.

It's based on a bunch of crap science.

Matt_Wild

Contrary to much of the advice you'll get here, your body can only process certain amounts of protein at a time. The RDA for protein is 8 tenths of a gram per lb of body weight. If you do intense strength training regularly you can process up to 1.7 grams per lb of body weight.(Mayo Clinic) Protein that is not used will be excreted from the body, but not before forcing the liver and kidneys to work very hard to process it. Like anything, the goal is to take in what you can use. Protein is important but too much of a good thing is not beneficial.

The answer to "the problem with protein" is, excess protein puts a strain on your liver and Kidneys. The right amount of essential amino acids is important for the construction of lean body mass. Nothing is wrong with protein in the correct amount. I'm sure the people who are spending $50 a pop on protein supplements will want to refute this.

Crap with a capital C. You really have no clue when it comes to protein and posting hyperbole like the above, really shows you up.

QUOTE:
Source


Department of Physiological Chemistry, Institute of Physical Education and Kinesiotherapy, Free University of Brussels, Belgium.


Abstract


Excess protein and amino acid intake have been recognized as hazardous potential implications for kidney function, leading to progressive impairment of this organ. It has been suggested in the literature, without clear evidence, that high protein intake by athletes has no harmful consequences on renal function. This study investigated body-builders (BB) and other well-trained athletes (OA) with high and medium protein intake, respectively, in order to shed light on this issue. The athletes underwent a 7-day nutrition record analysis as well as blood sample and urine collection to determine the potential renal consequences of a high protein intake. The data revealed that despite higher plasma concentration of uric acid and calcium, Group BB had renal clearances of creatinine, urea, and albumin that were within the normal range. The nitrogen balance for both groups became positive when daily protein intake exceeded 1.26 g.kg but there were no correlations between protein intake and creatinine clearance, albumin excretion rate, and calcium excretion rate. To conclude, it appears that protein intake under 2. 8 g.kg does not impair renal function in well-trained athletes as indicated by the measures of renal function used in this study


PMID: 10722779 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Please show me ONE piece of scientific based study that shows high protein levels damage you kidneys or indeed liver. Those in renal FAILURE avoid some proteins (not all) because SOME are harder for a weak kidney to digest.

FWIW renal failure is 20% or less working capacity. A very damaged kidney!

AshRyd

Good to know I was wondering the same thing......

Besides someone telling me that it affects your stools. I was recently going regularly, but not to be gross - was having a problem getting it out. Not constipated. Just really well formed someone told me I was eating too much protein & should stop!

Any truth to this??

i was having this same problem and did a little google research - so it is not very scientific, but i did re-look at some of my numbers on MFP after i found some info. Fiber! i was eating so much protein and feeling the "full" effect of protein that is was starting to seriously lack on the fiber and fat, (fruits and veggies for me, it isn't good to just sit down and eat just grilled chicken breast without the rest of the meal, no matter how good it is grilled!).
So i discovered for me it was not bad to eat a lot of protein, just have be sure to balance it out with the rest of the numbers. Once I saw higher numbers in the other columns i started to feel/go a lot better. I also started drinking lots more water, that helped too.

portalm

DISCLAIMER **I got this information by an Army Dietitian.

The body can process any amounts of protein, however the suggested is (Supposedly) 1.1 to 1.3 g per kilogram of your weight, with a suggested macro range of 10-35 % protein 25-45% carbs and 14-25% fats.

I was told that excess protein can cause problems if you already have existing liver problems which has been stated, however consuming excess protein will eventually be broken down into sugars for carbs, So why not just eat carbs to have that readily energy.

2Bgoddess

I have my goal set at 800 calories but should be getting 900 calories a day.

I just did the math on how you calculated out my calories and thank you very much for that info.

So Protein and Carbs is 4 calories per gram and Fat is 9 calories per gram? I knew about the Fat but not about the other two.

Yeah that's not enough. Just not enough.

It may not be enough for you. people judge right off the bat. the fact of the matter is when you are OBESE, the strain on your heart and organs is considerable. in order to QUICKLY reduce that strain, a low cal, low carb, low sugar, high protein diet is used to drop some serious poundage fast. (the high protein helps a bit to prevent serious muscle mass loss). once a person gets into the OVERWEIGHT category, the diet is often changed up to 1, slow the weight loss 2. allow for greater calorie intake to sustain the level of exercise and activity that the formerly OBESE person is now physically able to do. the first phase is not meant to be sustainable. it is to as quickly as possible, bring the person into a range where their heart can take the strain of exercise, now that they don't have the strain of the enormous pressure put on it by the obesity. Been there. done that. in 5 months went from 252 to 190. another 6 to get to 165. it'll take me another 6 i am sure, but now I can REALLY exercse.

re: protein...i aim to every day have that little number turn red by the time I finish my afternoon snack. (3pm)

AlayshaJ

Its not... I never really understood why the numbers go red when you go over...

chickentunashake

Good to know I was wondering the same thing......

Besides someone telling me that it affects your stools. I was recently going regularly, but not to be gross - was having a problem getting it out. Not constipated. Just really well formed someone told me I was eating too much protein & should stop!

Any truth to this??

Protein will regulate you. Who ever told you to stop was an idiot. :-D

chickentunashake

From Livestrong.com and the CDC

Protein Eaten in Excess

The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily. For adults, that tends to be approximately 50 g of protein daily and 63 g for males daily. This number can change dependent on exercise, trauma, or disease and is not a recommended amount. The American Heart Association states that eating too much animal protein can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. High protein diets can cause weight loss due to excessive water loss and fat not being efficiently broken down completely. This can cause problems with brain function and kidney functions. High amounts of protein can also cause kidney stones and gout.

Yes, but they are talking about very very high protein intake for kidneys to be effected. I am 115 pounds, eating around 130-180 g of protein a day , taking healthy fats and low carbs and my body is ultra lean, strong, no problems with stool or anything else and if you look at my pictures, weight I loss is not water weight. Lol. If you look at bodybuilders, they are not losing water weight either. There have been a lots of studies about protein and every single one states something different. People, do what works for you

Matt_Wild

From Livestrong.com and the CDC

Protein Eaten in Excess

The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily. For adults, that tends to be approximately 50 g of protein daily and 63 g for males daily. This number can change dependent on exercise, trauma, or disease and is not a recommended amount. The American Heart Association states that eating too much animal protein can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. High protein diets can cause weight loss due to excessive water loss and fat not being efficiently broken down completely. This can cause problems with brain function and kidney functions. High amounts of protein can also cause kidney stones and gout.

Yes, but they are talking about very very high protein intake for kidneys to be effected. I am 115 pounds, eating around 130-180 g of protein a day , taking healthy fats and low carbs and my body is ultra lean, strong, no problems with stool or anything else and if you look at my pictures, weight I loss is not water weight. Lol. If you look at bodybuilders, they are not losing water weight either. There have been a lots of studies about protein and every single one states something different. People, do what works for you

The test I posted show up to 2.8g per kilo (eg 100kg man can eat 280g a day very safely). With a fully functional body, you have no worry.

chickentunashake

I have problems with my kidneys if I have too much protein, and I don't want to end up on dialysis like my mother did. Going over SOME in protein is not a big deal, but if I ate a high protein diet all the time, I would soon be in real medical trouble!

In that case you are not drinking enough water to help your kidneys to process. For kidneys to be effected you would have to eat very very high protein on daily basis

Matt_Wild

I have problems with my kidneys if I have too much protein, and I don't want to end up on dialysis like my mother did. Going over SOME in protein is not a big deal, but if I ate a high protein diet all the time, I would soon be in real medical trouble!

In that case you are not drinking enough water to help your kidneys to process. For kidneys to be effected you would have to eat very very high protein on daily basis

No, you would have to have kidneys in renal failure.

bigjoe02

Too much Proteins turns into Carbs...
I still think it's easier to lose weight eating a good amount of Proteins and not too many...
I've always lost my weight eatting protein

Keep up the good work abnd try to eat before 6pm and not after...

Joe

Mischievous_Rascal

I changed my protein breakdown to 40% rather than whatever MFP has it set at. That is based on the recommendation of the dietitian I have seen since June 1 and I have lost 12lbs using this plan and felt much better than I had when I lost the first 9lbs without her guidance.

This.

ChappyEight

Keep up the good work abnd try to eat before 6pm and not after...

Joe

What purpose does this serve?

Matt_Wild

Too much Proteins turns into Carbs...
I still think it's easier to lose weight eating a good amount of Proteins and not too many...
I've always lost my weight eatting protein

Keep up the good work abnd try to eat before 6pm and not after...

Joe

Gluconeogenesis uses approx 2 calories to convert protein into carbs. Even in a like for like consumption, they are not equal.

Matt_Wild

Keep up the good work abnd try to eat before 6pm and not after...

Joe

What purpose does this serve?

Someone that doesn't understand that digestion takes up to 72 hours to complete and 2-3 hours in both the stomach and upper intestine and much longer in the lower...

sonny368

It's bad because your kidneys have to work double so you have to drink more water if you eat more proteins and you also have workout more otherwise they might store because your muscles don't consume that amount for recovery.