Is there such thing as too much protein?

flamingblades
flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
I am type 2 diabetic and I have been instructed to eat a lot of protein. I also work out 4X a week in circuit training. I know you can have too much of ANYTHING, but I always seem to go over my daily allowance on protein. Can I harm myself by eating more than 80 or 90 grams of protein in a day? Please advise. ;)

Replies

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Type 2 in remission here. As long as you stay in your calorie goal you will be fine.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    I eat 120g as a minimum for protein. I've eaten as much as 170-180g of it in a day.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I usually eat between 120g and 150g of protein a day. Unless you have kidney problems, you can't have too much protein.
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
    I take meds to decrease the sodium and calcium in my urine, so I don't form anymore stones. I guess I should check in with my Urologist on the subject.
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
    I ordered a low carb protein blast at the gym today that gave me 54 grams of protein. Great stuff for replenishing my muscles after a hard workout, while keeping the carbs low. Instead of dairy, they use water and it still came out thick and frosty.
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited February 2015
    I'm no nutritionist but from my own experience, the only way to have too much protein (other than if you have a specific medical problem that would be worsened by over consumption of protein) is if you were to go over your calorie allotment by consuming too much of whatever was containing the protein.

    What benefit having so much protein would do you is a different question entirely. The body can only build so much muscle, no matter how much protein you give yourself.
    The pro that I can point out from high consumption in the past are that I was always left feeling fuller longer.

    As with any macro-nutrient, it is best to meet your daily allotted goals. If you feel that you would benefit from higher protein intake.. I can see no reason why upping it would be a problem (unless of course you have a medical problem as I mentioned above).

    All the best.

    Adam
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    80 or 90g isn't excessive, but beyond a certain point extra protein is just expensive pee.

    As you're a diabetic there may be reasons to moderate it, the advice you were given was probably intended to get you to reduce your carbohydrate intake rather than to increase protein per se.

    You are probably in the right zone at 1 - 2 grams per day per kg of ideal body weight.
  • pricesteve
    pricesteve Posts: 39 Member
    From the research I did into this, I came to the conclusion that too much protein can be a problem. The source of the protein can make a difference also, as animal proteins don't come with the added fibre that plant based proteins have.
    There is plenty of info out there, even if you avoid sites promoting fad diets and selling books.
    despite the 'vegetarian angle' in this article, its worth a read for some basics
    http://pcrm.org/health/diets/vsk/vegetarian-starter-kit-protein
  • paj315
    paj315 Posts: 335 Member
    I eat 170 grams of protein a day and nothing bad has happened to me yet :)
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited February 2015
    pricesteve wrote: »
    From the research I did into this, I came to the conclusion that too much protein can be a problem. The source of the protein can make a difference also, as animal proteins don't come with the added fibre that plant based proteins have.
    There is plenty of info out there, even if you avoid sites promoting fad diets and selling books.
    despite the 'vegetarian angle' in this article, its worth a read for some basics
    http://pcrm.org/health/diets/vsk/vegetarian-starter-kit-protein

    I'm a vegetarian, and this is bunk.

    Protein is only a problem if you have existing kidney disease. It doesn't CAUSE it.

    My body loves protein. I make sure to get at least 100 g a day.


  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
    Here's an article you may find useful:

    http://journal.diabetes.org/diabetesspectrum/00v13n3/pg132.htm

    I can't give any insight as I don't have the same medical conditions and even if I did, I'm not qualified to give medical advice. :) I try to get over 100g/day myself as I'm trying to retain as much of my existing muscle mass as I lose weight as I can.
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    No, don't worry about too much protein.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited February 2015
    The MFP goal is kind of low, especially if your calories are reduced a lot. 80-90 sounds reasonable, but not excessive, and you could go over that with no harm There are recommendations for at least 80-100% of lean mass (your weight minus the weight of your fat), which for me means I aim for over 95 (100 to be safe) as a minimum, and I'm pretty small, only 5'3. (I actually usually eat more, simply because it fits with how I tend to eat, and I think unless you are really excessive no harm.) The idea is that it makes it less likely that you will lose muscle when in a deficit, although you also ideally would be working out and especially doing a weights program.

    Anyway, if your doctor said to get the protein up, you can change your macros here to reflect it. A more balanced macro ratio like 40-30-30 (40% carbs) might be better than the MFP default (I found that eating somewhat more protein and fat and fewer carbs at each meal made me feel better, but I'm not diabetic or pre diabetic). Ideally, you should ask the doctor or get a referral to a dietician.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    flamingblades wrote: »
    Can I harm myself by eating more than 80 or 90 grams of protein in a day? Please advise. ;)
    No, that's not excessive in the least. I've had days where I go over 200g
  • blktngldhrt
    blktngldhrt Posts: 1,053 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    80 or 90g isn't excessive, but beyond a certain point extra protein is just expensive pee.

    As you're a diabetic there may be reasons to moderate it, the advice you were given was probably intended to get you to reduce your carbohydrate intake rather than to increase protein per se.

    You are probably in the right zone at 1 - 2 grams per day per kg of ideal body weight.

    This. Most of the time doctors advise that protein be eaten with carbs in order to decrease blood glucose spikes.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    flamingblades wrote: »
    I am type 2 diabetic and I have been instructed to eat a lot of protein. I also work out 4X a week in circuit training. I know you can have too much of ANYTHING, but I always seem to go over my daily allowance on protein. Can I harm myself by eating more than 80 or 90 grams of protein in a day? Please advise. ;)

    I know that sometimes diabetes can lead to a kidney issue if left uncontrolled. ( I'm not saying yours in uncontrolled). If you do not have a kidney impairment, going over your protein shouldn't be an issue.
  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
    WOW! Thank you all for your interest in this thread! You have all given me much to think upon. I see my doctor in March and I will be seeing my nutritionist as well, taking my diabetes and kidney issues to the table. My kidneys aren't real bad, but I do take meds to prevent stone production. I do circuit training and walking, so a protein boost after my workouts help a lot. Thanx for all of your advice. :D
  • gerrielips
    gerrielips Posts: 180 Member
    I've been emphasizing low carbs in my diet, per my doctor's suggestion, however other than eliminating bread, rice, potatoes, processed grains, I'm not sure if the 150 g of carbs listed in my goals is too much. Should I reduce the amount of carbs even further? How do I make sure the percentages are indeed correct for me. I've noticed that I'm likely taking too much protein and wonder if that will be a problem - which is the main thrust of this interesting thread. I "think" I remember being told that too much protein can leach calcium from your bones and also be bad for your kidneys, at 66 (almost) I don't want weak bones at this stage. (...and now I'm worrying about my memory - can't remember who told me this info and in what context.) Lots of questions...Thanks for your response.
  • HillSlug98239
    HillSlug98239 Posts: 28 Member
    Americans are addicted to protein. The elite East African runners who have dominated the world marathon circuit for a while now get about 10% of their calories from protein.

    You'll be doing the right thing to discuss the specifics of how much protein you need vs. how much you can safely consume. Carbohydrate is not, and has never been, the enemy. But, having said that, all of us are different; what works for me may not work for you. I would never tell you you're "wrong" for following a certain diet.

    Be careful with the advice you get from here, or any other comment board. We are each experts in what works for us, but that's anecdotal evidence, not empirical evidence. I'll trust my gut for what works for me, but not at the expense of completely ignoring science.
  • foursirius
    foursirius Posts: 321 Member
    Im eating about 225g of protein a day and seem to be doing just fine. For reference I weigh about 215
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