Is too much protein really an issue?

The only caveat with protein is that it needs to be no more than 30 percent of your total calories, or you will get protein poisoning, or "rabbit starvation". The rest needs to be fat or carbs.

If it is..I'm screwed..

It's pretty scary how much general opinion gets pushed around here in these MFP forums as though it were matter of fact:

"MFP recommends far too little protein"
"too much protein is not an issue"
"The default protein settings on MFP are very very low. Going over is a good thing"
"MFP guidelines for protein are too low"
"I love this site but it is always off when it comes to peoples' protein needs - as in WAY TOO LOW"

The default ratio of proteins on MFP is 15%. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Dietary Guideline for Americans recommends that 10-35% of daily calories should come from protein. MFP default is within that range. How is it WAY too low?

If increasing protein ratio was the obvious best way to lower weight/increase health, why wouldn't MFP have already adjusted the default ratio years ago? Hmmmm......

It's quite possible that there are increased health risks with higher protein levels, particularly in regards to red meat:
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/green-living-red-meat-consider-your-health-and-the-environments-as-well.html
The link makes reference to a large, long-term study from the Harvard School of Public Health.

There are increasing number of studies linking decreased lifespan with higher levels of IGF-1 (which results from having higher levels of protein).

Now I don't know if there are conclusive studies to determine if non-meat proteins have lower health risks than animal proteins, but if you are concerned with getting sufficient protein, know that PER calorie, veggies can provide more protein than even beef:
http://www.drfuhrman.com/faq/question.aspx?sid=16&qindex=9

My own opinion to the OP's Q is that it depends on what your goals are. If one wanted to gain muscles for bodybuilding or increased athletic prowess, then they should increase protein intake to a higher level. For the average MFP Joe or Jane who merely desires to lose weight and get in "shape", I'd suggest they stick with the MFP defaults until they are at or near their desired body composition. And no one here truly knows if too much protein is really an issue for you. The only person I'd rely on to tell me that is my doctor upon seeing my blood test results.

glad someone asked it is the only thing I am always over in

Unless you have a family history of kidney stones, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have a family history of them and still maintain around 50-100 of protein a day. we are huge fish eaters at our house too.

All I would recommend is that you make sure you avoid dark pops, too much caffeine and drink plenty of water if you are eating lots of protein.

Unless you have a family history of kidney stones, I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have a family history of them and still maintain around 50-100 of protein a day. we are huge fish eaters at our house too.

All I would recommend is that you make sure you avoid dark pops, too much caffeine and drink plenty of water if you are eating lots of protein.

X.X hopefull they would be avoiding that anyways lol but why out of curiosity

Why to avoid those things? They don't necessarily cause kidney stones per se, but they do?.. It's hard to explain for me since I'm not medically intelligent. I do know if my mom drinks dark pop for too long she gets a stone. Caffeine does help produce stones and usually people don't drink enough water so the kidneys don't have enough water to flush out their system and so the crystals develop into bigger stones, the ones that cause lots of pain.

I only mention those because a lot of my new MFP friends seem to hang onto pop, coffee and don't drink enough water :-/

You will be absolutely fine. There are studies showing 2.8g per kg have no negative consequences in anyway, in any markers.

I eat more protein and less carbs than MFP, and less calories overall. I think its fine. I listen to my body and I feel great, don't get sick and I'm strong in the gym and that is all that matters!

^ me too!!


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ACG Excellent sources and citations! Thank you for posting. I have been wondering what kind of effect higher protein levels would have on bone mass. Maybe someday there will be further studies to show more positive effects.

There is also a major link to high protein diets having negative impact on renal functions. Specifically linked to overuse of protein supplements, not from actual food consumption. Consistently high levels of protein can cause renal failure. If I were on a computer right now, I would find the studies and link it. I was just reading up on this the other day.

This is usually with people who already suffer with kidney issues. The general population really doesn't have to fear this if they have normal kidney function and fluid intake is adequate.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Protein and amino acids for athletes. J Sports Sci. 2004 Jan;22(1):65-79.
www.uni.edu/dolgener/Advanced_Sport.../protein_intake.pdf

Since there is evidence that protein intakes above the RDA may be beneficial to athletes, a risk–benefit analysis may be useful. An important consideration is the potential harm that may arise from elevated protein intakes. There is little research into the maximum tolerable protein intake in healthy individuals. It has been suggested that excessive protein intakes may increase calcium loss, thus affecting bone health. However, since a major portion of bone is protein, excessive protein does not appear to influence bone health. High protein intakes have been suggested to pose a risk for the kidneys but, in healthy individuals with no underlying kidney disease (presumably most elite athletes), there is no evidence for harm to kidneys with higher intakes. Certainly, it would be detrimental for an athlete to consume excess protein at the expense of other nutrients required to support the necessary level of training and competition. There is a suggestion that intakes greater than 40% of total energy intake might be the upper limit. Protein intakes greater than 40% may limit intake of fat and/or carbohydrates, thus compromising the benefits of these nutrients. However, given the high energy intakes of most elite athletes, protein intakes higher than 40% are unlikely in most. Even a small female restricting energy intake and consuming only 1500 kcal would need to consume 150 g of protein to reach 40%.

High-Protein Weight Loss Diets and Purported Adverse Effects: Where is the Evidence? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2004, 1:45-51 doi:10.1186/1550-2783-1-1-45
http://www.jissn.com/content/1/1/45#B4

Indeed, the recent study Dawson-Hughes et al. did not confirm the perception that increased dietary protein results in urinary calcium loss.[36] According to Dawson-Hughes et al., "Theconstellation of findings that meat supplements containing 55 g/d protein, when exchanged for carbohydrate did not significantlyincrease urinary calcium excretion and were associated withhigher levels of serum IGF-I and lower levels of the bone resorption marker, N-telopeptide, together with a lack of significant correlationof urinary N-telopeptide with urinary calcium excretion in thehigh protein group (in contrast to the low protein) point tothe possibility that higher meat intake may potentially improvebone mass in many older men and women."

Finally, the cross-cultural and population studies that showed a positive association between animal-protein intake and hip fracture risk did not consider other lifestyle or dietary factors that may protect or increase the risk of fracture.[35] It is of some interest that the author of the most cited paper favoring the earlier hypothesis that high-protein intake promotes osteoporosis no longer believes that protein is harmful to bone.[34] In fact, he concluded that the balance of the evidence seems to indicate the opposite.

Despite its role in nitrogen excretion, there are presently no data in the scientific literature demonstrating the healthy kidney will be damaged by the increased demands of protein consumed in quantities above the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Furthermore, real world examples support this contention since kidney problems are nonexistent in the bodybuilding community in which high-protein intake has been the norm for over half a century.[3] Recently, Walser published comprehensive review on protein intake and renal function, which states: "it is clear that protein restriction does not prevent decline in renal function with age, and, in fact, is the major cause of that decline. A better way to prevent the decline would be to increase protein intake. there is no reason to restrict protein intake in healthy individuals in order to protect the kidney."[4]

Dietary protein intake and renal function. Nutrition & Metabolism 2005, 2:25 doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-25
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/2/1/25

Conclusion

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.[

Yep, Can always count on my bros of steel here to post studies.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

But high intensity exercise also raises IGF-1. Is the correlation the same with cancer here too?

If IGF-1 increases the risk of cancer and High intensity Exercise raises IGF-1 then it's reasonable to assume that there is a link. However, I don't know.

Statistically, it's probably the relatively young who do high intense exercise and their bodies are more resistance and better able to adapt to high IGF-1 levels.