Protein is good, but consuming too much of it is not. If you do, you run the risk of developing serious health problems ranging from kidney stones to cancer. Unfortunately, way too many people eat way more protein than they should. This happens because of popular weight loss diets, fitness supplements, or simply lack knowledge of how much protein you really should be eating. Rectifying the situation as fast as possible is essential if you want to protect your health.
Health Risks of Eating Too Much Protein as Proven by Studies
- Dehydration that leads to kidney damage (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology)
- Increased risk of cancer (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)
- Increased risk of heart disease (Journal of the American Society of Nephrology)
- Calcium loss and risk of osteoporosis (University of Thessaly)
There are other issues associated with a high-protein low-carb diet, like bad breath and diarrhea. Constipation is another common issue that occurs after switching to this kind of meal plan.
Please be aware that the majority of the issues associated with a high intake of protein occur not because of the protein itself. Although, consuming too much of any element is unhealthy by default. However, the problem with high-protein meal plans is that they contain a lot of dairy products and meat, especially red meat. Those are foods that are full of fats and other elements that exacerbate a lot of health risks of a high-protein diet.
How Much and What Kind of Protein You Should Be Eating
The current dietary recommendations state that a human should beat 0.8 gram of protein per 1 kilogram of their weight. The average person living on the traditional American diet gets about 16% more than that. And that’s without any supplements, shakes, and protein bars that the gym-goers of today are so fond of.
With all that said, it’s vital that you don’t see protein as your enemy. It’s all about not going overboard and falling onto the bandwagon of fad diets and doubtful ‘enhancement’ products for fitness junkies. There are many healthy foods rich in protein and including them into your diet is one of the basic quick weight loss tips. They are especially good for breakfast as they help control your appetite. And any person who is into sports literally needs to eat more protein than the recommended norm.
However, that ‘more’ isn’t as big as the majority of people think. In most cases, getting it to 1g/1kg is enough to satisfy the needs of a body that you train into growing muscle. That’s the reason athletes need more protein than regular people. This nutrient is what the body uses as building material for muscle tissues.
The most important thing to understand if you want to be healthy is that your protein intake is but a small part of a well-balanced nutrition plan. It should never be the leading food group in it, but a small part of a balanced whole.
It’s the nutritional balance and value of foods that make up a healthy diet that will help you lose weight without risking your health. Focusing too much on any single element is sure to bring some problems.