Too much protein is bad??

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Foodorlife
Foodorlife Posts: 111 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so based on my info that I've entered I need to eat about 110 g of protein a day...and I have been reaching it for 3 days. I don't know how it affects me since it's been such short period of time. I was thinking that it's good and all, until I read this. http://voices.yahoo.com/is-there-too-much-protein-plate-10933308.html?cat=22
For real? Only about 50 g for women? What?
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Replies

  • illuvatree
    illuvatree Posts: 185 Member
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    Yeah, you can overdo protein for sure.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    For people who don't have a pre-existing condition such as gout, kidney problems, etc. the amount of protein required to be too much is pretty high. 110 is not too high.
  • Foodorlife
    Foodorlife Posts: 111 Member
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    I'm wondering why Jillian Michaels and people on here say to eat 30-40% of protein a day, when it calculates it's 110 g for me with 1500 cals a day, but according to that site it's too much...what?why?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    MFP sets protein pretty low. I aim for 30% of my calories coming from protein.

    edited for typo.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    This site defaults to low protein. Many here will advocate closer to 30% protein or at least 1g per day per pound of lean body mass (to a maximum of 1g/day per pound of body weight) in order to conserve muscle mass while in a deficit. Protein also has a relatively higher thermic effect of food so it burns more calories just digesting it. Unless your doctor has advised you against it, eating a moderate protein diet should be okay and in fact quite helpful for weight loss.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    I'm wondering why Jillian Michaels and people on here say to eat 30-40% of protein a day, when it calculates it's 110 g for me with 1500 cals a day, but according to that site it's too much...what?why?

    Because there is not a consensus on how much you should eat and different people advocate different amounts.
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
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    How much do you need vs how much is optimal for your goals vs how much is "too much".

    Maybe you only need 50g, maybe you should aim for 110g to retain LBM while losing weight, and maybe 3-400 grams is "too much" if you don't have gout or arthritis.
  • Foodorlife
    Foodorlife Posts: 111 Member
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    So if there's not health issue-110 g of protein for a 242 lbs female is adequate?
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
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    As a 130lb female whose daily protein goal is 225g (i never hit it, but I try to get at least halfway there), I've never seen extra protein as a bad thing, assuming all your organs are doing their jobs. Sometimes it does make you poop. But maybe that's just me.

    Sorry.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    You as an individual are not eating too much protein.
  • elmr34
    elmr34 Posts: 32 Member
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    The article states that excess protein is converted to fat.

    All excess calories are the same though, they all become fat.

    The article states that extra protein means more work for the kidneys and liver.

    For functioning kidneys and liver this is no problem. I'm not sure if there is any scientific evidence of 'extra work' being bad at all. It is true that if you have KIDNEY FAILURE you should limit protein.

    Lastly, the article states that too much animal protein could cause Gout. Sugary drinks and beer may also lead to gout. Additionally, many of us get lots of our protein from dairy, grains, chicken, or fish that should not cause gout. Plus, drinking lots of water could eliminate the risk of gout anyway.
  • Docpremie
    Docpremie Posts: 228 Member
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    The person writing this article is a freelance writer & not an expert in nutrition or fitness, certainly has no medical background, or any other expertise to advise on this subject. Considering that, I'd take his advice with a grain of salt. If you don't have significant kidney problems, you will be fine ingesting protein at your current levels to spare significant losses of lean body mass.

    Here's an article about protein intake & dieting that you might find interesting. The high protein group of women took in 125 gram/day of protein and had greater weight loss, maintained a greater percentage of lean body mass (i.e muscle) and had hormone levels showing greater degrees of lipolysis.

    http://jn.nutrition.org/content/133/2/411.full

    Abstract:
    "Claims about the merits or risks of carbohydrate (CHO) vs. protein for weight loss diets are extensive, yet the ideal ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein for adult health and weight management remains unknown. This study examined the efficacy of two weight loss diets with modified CHO/protein ratios to change body composition and blood lipids in adult women. Women (n = 24; 45 to 56 y old) with body mass indices >26 kg/m2 were assigned to either a CHO Group consuming a diet with a CHO/protein ratio of 3.5 (68 g protein/d) or a Protein Group with a ratio of 1.4 (125 g protein/d). Diets were isoenergetic, providing 7100 kJ/d, and similar amounts of fat (∼50 g/d). After consuming the diets for 10 wk, the CHO Group lost 6.96 ± 1.36 kg body weight and the Protein Group lost 7.53 ± 1.44 kg. Weight loss in the Protein Group was partitioned to a significantly higher loss of fat/lean (6.3 ± 1.2 g/g) compared with the CHO Group (3.8 ± 0.9). Both groups had significant reductions in serum cholesterol (∼10%), whereas the Protein Group also had significant reductions in triacylglycerols (TAG) (21%) and the ratio of TAG/HDL cholesterol (23%). Women in the CHO Group had higher insulin responses to meals and postprandial hypoglycemia, whereas women in the Protein Group reported greater satiety. This study demonstrates that increasing the proportion of protein to carbohydrate in the diet of adult women has positive effects on body composition, blood lipids, glucose homeostasis and satiety during weight loss."

    Oh, and I'm a physician, if that helps.
  • pandabratt1
    pandabratt1 Posts: 36 Member
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    My doctor prescribed me a diet of 1300 calories based on my level of activity, and in that diet she told me that I should not ever go UNDER 100 grams of protein per day. This last week I have been eating between 115 and 130 g of protein and I feel great! It makes me want to start working out again, which means I can add back more calories and even more protein in my diet.

    Just an example.

    Everyone is different, so you really have to start paying attention to when you eat, how you eat, and how you feel when you eat. If you feel bad then you might be missing something.

    Basically I was taught to pick the protein first, beans or chicken or greek yogurt or something, and then I add to it with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. I still have sugar once in a while (usually in the form of chocolate), but I make sure that if I do, I have had enough protein in the meal to offset any of the sugar, while still staying within my calorie limit per meal. It has been so much easier to follow because nothing is off limits, and I don't feel like I'm starving OR deprived.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    For people who don't have a pre-existing condition such as gout, kidney problems, etc. the amount of protein required to be too much is pretty high. 110 is not too high.

    Gout is not caused by protein, it's caused by purines (even "healthy", non-rich foods, such as beans, are high in purines) ... Rule of thumn is 1 gram of protein per LG of lean body mass or 0.8 grams per LB of total body weight, more if looking to build muscle or exercise intensely ...

    By the way, I am regularly over 110g of protein daily (5'2 and 104 LBs) ... For example, today I ate 174 grams of protein today ... no protein shakes or supplements ...
  • wannehunter85
    wannehunter85 Posts: 133
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    Agreed. I have heard you should eat 1 gram of protein per pound. If you are looking for weight loss than you need to minus about 20% of that so .8 grams per pound. That gives me a goal of around 140-150 grams per day. I started trying hard to reach that goal (not always even close, but I DO eat a lot more protein now) about a month ago. I feel great now, my muscles are toning up nicely, and I have lost about 10 pounds this month. Is that the reason? Who knows, but I think it is helping.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    Nah your kidneys and liver do a pretty good job of ensuring you dont get protein overload. However, 110g isnt going to harm anyone shoot a tall man in renal failure could probably get close to 110g.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
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    I eat between 140-175g of protein a day on average and I've had no health issues at all. That's around 30% of my calorie intake. I've had physicals done on an yearly basis for the past few years and nothing ever comes up in my bloodwork or otherwise.

    Barring some sort of health condition, eating 110g of protein is not going to hurt you. Eating like crap and not exercising will hurt you much more.
  • Marleen55
    Marleen55 Posts: 8
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    If you're an older woman, too much animal protein (especially meat and dairy) can contribute to osteoporosis. I took a course in nutrition a few years ago, and the way they described it was that the body releases acids to digest animal protein. Too much protein will cause acid levels to rise on a continuous level in your body. To neutralize and buffer the acidity, your body will release calcium phosphate, which it pulls from the bones. So obviously too much calcium pulled from the bones will increase the risk of weaker bones, and eventually osteoporosis.

    It may explain why the countries in the world that have the highest meat and dairy consumption, also have the highest levels of osteoporosis. It should be the opposite.
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I way ~179, and eat over 200 gr protein daily....
    There have been times where I have done over 300 gr.

    My recent blood tests back in August came back good, doctor was not concerned with anything there.

    So take it for what it is worth.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    If you're an older woman, too much animal protein (especially meat and dairy) can contribute to osteoporosis. I took a course in nutrition a few years ago, and the way they described it was that the body releases acids to digest animal protein. Too much protein will cause acid levels to rise on a continuous level in your body. To neutralize and buffer the acidity, your body will release calcium phosphate, which it pulls from the bones. So obviously too much calcium pulled from the bones will increase the risk of weaker bones, and eventually osteoporosis.

    It may explain why the countries in the world that have the highest meat and dairy consumption, also have the highest levels of osteoporosis. It should be the opposite.
    It's called metabolic acidosis. And thank you, somebody who knows what they are talking about is such a breath of fresh air around here.

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