Protein - lots and lots of it

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milliondays
milliondays Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I usually have very high protein numbers. I read that too much protein can blow up your liver - or something similar. Are there MFP members who have lots and lots of protein every day and are feeling fine?

I'm 52, weigh around 130, 5'5'', and eat more than 100 grams per day. I'm not on low carb, I just love protein.
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Replies

  • AmandaLou4319
    AmandaLou4319 Posts: 73 Member
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    My protein goal is one gram of protein for each pound of body weight. So that is 150 grams for me. I have been been doing this for the last 5 months.

    I feel satisfied and energized. I tend to be lower on the carbs, but not on purpose.

    I enjoy it!
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    Been eating around 120 - 150g per day for around two years. Liver hasn't blown up yet.
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
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    I'm 5'1, 110# and get 140-130 on most days.

    No liver failure via explosion yet.
  • djpro1337
    djpro1337 Posts: 68 Member
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    I've never heard that, and I've been around a while. I eat about 200-230g of protein a day. I'm perfectly healthy.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    People who are already in kidney or liver failure do have to limit their protein intake.

    If you have healthy kidneys and liver you have absolutely nothing to worry about. Eating 100+g of protein per day will help you maintain any lean muscle mass you already have.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
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    Technically it's your kidneys, not your liver. And the danger is more a matter of /IF YOUR KIDNEYS ARE ALREADY COMPROMISED/ excess protein can "stress" them, which would not be good.

    The question of how much is "too much" though is not well understood. There's a wide range of ideas, from 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight (this being the most common recommendation) as a MINIMUM, and generally for sedentary individuals, though often misunderstood as a maximum or optimum; to 1.5 grams of protein per POUND of LEAN MASS.

    So on the low end, if you are sedentary, 47.2 grams would be an absolute minimum for you. Up to >150ish maybe if you are very active and also eating at a caloric deficit, depending on your bodyfat %.

    100 grams of protein a day is absolutely fine assuming you do not already have known kidney problems.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    Protein can be hard on your kidneys if you have certain medical conditions or if you eat super ridiculous amounts of protein. But 100-ish grams of protein isn't really THAT much protein. I'm a vegetarian and I aim for 80 grams as a minimum.
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
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    I looked around a bit before responding because I wanted to have an idea of what was safe. I found an article that said this:

    "The 2006 review published in the “International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism” suggests limiting protein intake to 2.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, or about 1.14 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, to avoid protein toxicity. This amount is equivalent to 171 grams of protein per day for a 150-pound adult."

    I found that here, for reference: http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/safe-upper-intake-level-protein-8638.html

    According to your stats that you put here and the 100g/day you mentioned, you're good to go!
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    I usually have very high protein numbers. I read that too much protein can blow up your liver - or something similar. Are there MFP members who have lots and lots of protein every day and are feeling fine?

    I'm 52, weigh around 130, 5'5'', and eat more than 100 grams per day. I'm not on low carb, I just love protein.

    I take in over 200 gr / day....
    Sometimes 300.....

    I have not seen any studies where high protein caused and medical conditions of liver or kidneys
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    As a general rule of thumb the following applies to anything edible.

    1. Someone somewhere will tell you it is terrible for you,. Will cause cancer,obesity and/or diabetes. Or will wreck one of your precious organs.

    2. Someone somewhere will tell you it's awesome for you. Is the cure for cancer. Will make weight fall off you. Has magical chemicals which will make unicorns shoot out of your butt-hole or something.

    The truth is excessive protein only really has one bad side effect ... smelly farts. With protein it is far better to go a bit over than to go under.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    Also, as you get older, your body becomes less protein sensitive, so thus the need for slightly more. So the younger you are, the less you need... the older you are, the more you need.

    Google Eric Helms on the topic of protein. He is one of the foremost nutrition authorities on the matter for more detail if interested.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Unless you have kidney disease - protein is great for you.

    Go to scholar.google.com and search for "high protein diet" and you'll find lots of scientific studies from respected universities and health organizations that support high protein intake.
  • bfergusonii
    bfergusonii Posts: 208 Member
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    As a general rule of thumb the following applies to anything edible.

    1. Someone somewhere will tell you it is terrible for you,. Will cause cancer,obesity and/or diabetes. Or will wreck one of your precious organs.

    2. Someone somewhere will tell you it's awesome for you. Is the cure for cancer. Will make weight fall off you. Has magical chemicals which will make unicorns shoot out of your butt-hole or something.

    The truth is excessive protein only really has one bad side effect ... smelly farts. With protein it is far better to go a bit over than to go under.

    ^^This. Exactly this.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    http://www.biolayne.com/uncategorized/myths-surrounding-high-protein-diet-safety/
  • formerfatboy1
    formerfatboy1 Posts: 76 Member
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    My protein intake is pretty high and has been for the past 1,000 days. I feel fine. I Keep my intake high and carbs low with high fat as well. No problems here!
  • SabrinaLily
    SabrinaLily Posts: 121
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    I try to eat 100 grams a day and love it when I can surpass that number. Only eating 1,200 calories a day (though I always go over that) can make it kind of tough to pack in numbers much higher than 100.
  • alijoanxo
    alijoanxo Posts: 480 Member
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    Back when I first started my weight loss journey I had a phase where I ate way too much protein. It wasn't a goal to consume so much, it's just what happened. I felt fine, but I had protein and ketones in my urine. I backed off on protein a little after that discovery. I couldn't tell you exactly how much protein I was taking in back then, but I'm 5'6" and weighed about 170 lb then.

    Also a friend of mine was over-using protein powder and was admitted to the hospital due to kidney problems.
    I'd say protein, like anything else, needs to be consumed in moderation. Too much, or too little of anything is never very good.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    Protein doesn't cause liver problems so long as its balanced with carbs. You actually need extra energy to process protein.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Just as a word of advice - you can have a liver problem and feel fine.

    Liver problems are always serious because they're difficult, if not impossible, to treat.

    I have no comment on your diet, but liver problems...they're no joke. And feeling well makes no difference. You can feel well and be dead two weeks later.

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