Is there such a thing as too much protein??

ScuffedBoots1
ScuffedBoots1 Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
So can I eat too much protein? I haven't been on MFP but about 6 days and I was eating chicken today and I was wondering if it is bad to go over my protein allowance?

I think since protein is good for you that more is better than less? Right? Or am I way off base?

Replies

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    There is such a thing, but not at the levels any sane human being would eat. If your macronutrients are set at the MFP default, I (and many others) think their protein recommendation is too low anyways, so going over it is no worry at all unless you're living off nothing but steak and protein shakes all day. Most people who strength train and have any interest in maintaining/building muscle aim for at least somewhere around 0.8-1g per pound of lean bodymass (some recommendations are significantly higher - up to 3g per pound of bodyweight.)

    Unless you have pre-existing medical issues (most notably kidney problems), protein intake at any sane level is not going to hurt you.
  • McBully4
    McBully4 Posts: 1,270 Member
    what mfp sets should be a minimum and you should try and go over it
  • hulkklogan
    hulkklogan Posts: 77 Member
    So can I eat too much protein? I haven't been on MFP but about 6 days and I was eating chicken today and I was wondering if it is bad to go over my protein allowance?

    I think since protein is good for you that more is better than less? Right? Or am I way off base?

    Yes, there is a point where you can be taking in too much protein, but to be honest, you'd have to try really, REALLY hard to reach it.
  • curvyvegan
    curvyvegan Posts: 80 Member
    This is one of those flaws of the way My Fitness Pal does things...it highlights in red anywhere you go over, and red automatically signals "STOP" to us...like if you go over on calories, the number switches to red, etc. But there are some areas where you should have a green light to keep going...fiber, protein, vitamins, calcium, etc...but when your brain sees that red you it feels like it is telling you that you are doing something wrong. Just ignore it! I, too, think of the MFP protein guideline as a minimum.
  • restoreleanne
    restoreleanne Posts: 217 Member
    if protein makes up more than 30% of your caloric intake causes a buildup of toxic ketones. which puts you at risk of dehydration then puts strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.
  • ScuffedBoots1
    ScuffedBoots1 Posts: 3
    OK I don't have any medical conditions! LOL.

    I drink a protein shake in the mornings usually but I cant remember off the top of my head the protein content.

    Thanks!! I am glad that the red doesn't mean a huge no no...seemed pretty low considering my two plain chicken tenders had 34 grams of protein or something like that!!
  • MrsBioChem
    MrsBioChem Posts: 80 Member
    There is such a thing, but not at the levels any sane human being would eat. If your macronutrients are set at the MFP default, I (and many others) think their protein recommendation is too low anyways, so going over it is no worry at all unless you're living off nothing but steak and protein shakes all day. Most people who strength train and have any interest in maintaining/building muscle aim for at least somewhere around 0.8-1g per pound of lean bodymass (some recommendations are significantly higher - up to 3g per pound of bodyweight.)

    Unless you have pre-existing medical issues (most notably kidney problems), protein intake at any sane level is not going to hurt you.

    MFP resets protein intake at about 15%. An article I once read said up to 30% is healthy.
  • ItzPSGina62
    ItzPSGina62 Posts: 99 Member
    That is good news because I was wondering the same thing.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    if protein makes up more than 30% of your caloric intake causes a buildup of toxic ketones. which puts you at risk of dehydration then puts strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.
    Got any studies to back that up? My intake exceeds 30% often (in fact, I have it set in my macros as a minimum of 30% of my daily intake) and I've yet to experience kidney failure, toxic ketone buildup or heart defects. There are many people on ketogenic diets whose protein intakes far exceed 30% and I don't recall any studies citing adverse health effects and/or high mortality rates. Unless somebody can produce solid medical evidence, I call broscience and scaremongering here.
  • brandimacleod
    brandimacleod Posts: 368 Member
    Too much protein can cause kidney problems in people prone to kidney disease.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    I didn't like seeing the red numbers, but I decided I needed extra protein because I was doing strength training. I needed protein to promote muscles.
  • restoreleanne
    restoreleanne Posts: 217 Member
    if protein makes up more than 30% of your caloric intake causes a buildup of toxic ketones. which puts you at risk of dehydration then puts strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.
    Got any studies to back that up? My intake exceeds 30% often (in fact, I have it set in my macros as a minimum of 30% of my daily intake) and I've yet to experience kidney failure, toxic ketone buildup or heart defects. There are many people on ketogenic diets whose protein intakes far exceed 30% and I don't recall any studies citing adverse health effects and/or high mortality rates. Unless somebody can produce solid medical evidence, I call broscience and scaremongering here.
    I though I pasted it on sorry

    http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900

    diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/...of_Too_Much_Protein_in_the_Diet

    www.livestrong.com/too-much-protein
    there are a lot more I got my info from nutritionist
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
    So can I eat too much protein? I haven't been on MFP but about 6 days and I was eating chicken today and I was wondering if it is bad to go over my protein allowance?

    I think since protein is good for you that more is better than less? Right? Or am I way off base?

    As a practical matter, for the average person -- no.
  • laserturkey
    laserturkey Posts: 1,680 Member
    For people with kidney issues, like me, there is definitely a limit to how much protein they can handle.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    I though I pasted it on sorry

    http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900

    diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/...of_Too_Much_Protein_in_the_Diet

    www.livestrong.com/too-much-protein
    there are a lot more I got my info from nutritionist
    And here's on that counters it (that isn't from livestrong or lovetoknow.wiki):

    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/25

    Under the conclusion, the researchers state:
    Although excessive protein intake remains a health concern in individuals with pre-existing renal disease, the literature lacks significant research demonstrating a link between protein intake and the initiation or progression of renal disease in healthy individuals. More importantly, evidence suggests that protein-induced changes in renal function are likely a normal adaptative mechanism well within the functional limits of a healthy kidney. Without question, long-term studies are needed to clarify the scant evidence currently available regarding this relationship. At present, there is not sufficient proof to warrant public health directives aimed at restricting dietary protein intake in healthy adults for the purpose of preserving renal function.
  • PoliticalRN
    PoliticalRN Posts: 112 Member
    As a medical person I always like to cite a source so this may help you:

    Is it OK to eat a lot more protein than the minimum recommendations?
    This is the crucial question for people on diets that are higher in protein than usual, as low-carb diets tend to be. In a review of the research, the National Academy of Sciences reported that the only known danger from high-protein diets is for individuals with kidney disease. After careful study, they recommend that 10 percent to 35 percent of daily calories come from protein. They point out that increased protein could be helpful in treating obesity. There is also accumulating evidence that extra protein may help prevent osteoporosis.

    Extra protein can be broken down into glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. On low carb diets, this happens continually. One benefit of obtaining glucose from protein is that it is absorbed into the bloodstream very slowly, so it doesn’t cause a rapid blood sugar increase.

    Reference Sources:

    Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2005), Food and Nutrition Board, National Academy of Sciences.

    Lemon, PWR. (1996). “Is increased dietary protein necessary or beneficial for individuals with a physically active lifestyle?” Nutrition Review 54:S169-S175.
  • EccentricDad
    EccentricDad Posts: 875 Member
    I think since protein is good for you that more is better than less? Right? Or am I way off base?

    I've read the following and this is my best understanding of Proteins:
    Protein is a macronutrient that repairs the body and helps build muscle. The body can only burn ____ amount of protein and the excess is then turned into fecal matter. How much protein you need depends on your exercise level. Exercise is any activity that you do that causes your heart rate to increase (cardio) for a long period of time, causes your muscles to get sore after excessive use (strength training), or causes your muscles to feel lighter after the work out (resistance). If you are NOT exercising, then your protein intake is likely very low.

    Protein also has the benefits of being high on fat (our cells and brain are composed of fat), but the types of fat are important to pay attention to. Saturated fats chemically turn into trans fats in the body. Unsaturated fats are said to lower cholesterol levels and be beneficial to the cell walls they bind to by letting carbs go in and out of them easier.

    Too much of any macro (or micro for that matter) nutrient is a bad thing. that's why it's good to track how much your body is getting.
  • restoreleanne
    restoreleanne Posts: 217 Member
    did you read the whole on article @ http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/25 it just moved it up to 35% and said he samething the other pages did
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    I've read the following and this is my best understanding of Proteins:
    Protein is a macronutrient that repairs the body and helps build muscle. The body can only burn ____ amount of protein and the excess is then turned into fecal matter. How much protein you need depends on your exercise level. Exercise is any activity that you do that causes your heart rate to increase (cardio) for a long period of time, causes your muscles to get sore after excessive use (strength training), or causes your muscles to feel lighter after the work out (resistance). If you are NOT exercising, then your protein intake is likely very low.

    Protein also has the benefits of being high on fat (our cells and brain are composed of fat), but the types of fat are important to pay attention to. Saturated fats chemically turn into trans fats in the body. Unsaturated fats are said to lower cholesterol levels and be beneficial to the cell walls they bind to by letting carbs go in and out of them easier.

    Too much of any macro (or micro for that matter) nutrient is a bad thing. that's why it's good to track how much your body is getting.
    1) Excess protein can be converted to glucose (as mentioned in the above post) via gluconeogenesis.

    2) Protein is not high in fat. Fat is high in fat. They're two entirely different macronutrients. Saying "protein is high in fat" is like saying "gold is high in lead".
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
    Your body WILL eliminate what it doesn't use. Most bodies can only use about 30 grams at a time. The rest is excreted in your urine as creatinine. It makes your liver and kidneys work a bit harder, so just make sure you drink more water if you up your protein.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Your body WILL eliminate what it doesn't use. Most bodies can only use about 30 grams at a time. The rest is excreted in your urine as creatinine. It makes your liver and kidneys work a bit harder, so just make sure you drink more water if you up your protein.
    Another myth debunked (studies quoted in the article):

    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Your body WILL eliminate what it doesn't use. Most bodies can only use about 30 grams at a time. The rest is excreted in your urine as creatinine. It makes your liver and kidneys work a bit harder, so just make sure you drink more water if you up your protein.

    The 30g thing isn't true.
    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/

    LOL. Too slow :tongue:

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