What eating too much protein does to your health

Protein seems to have been crowned as the most wanted ‘macronutrient’. Good hair, good muscles, good so many things- protein! Honestly, protein intake is necessary. And its benefits have been widely talked about- weight loss management, good bone health, and lower blood pressure among others.

 Amy Kubal, a registered dietician in South Dakota explained, “Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of muscle. In order to preserve, repair, and grow muscle, protein is vital in your diet." But, the problem arises when your protein intake is excessive.

Normal protein intake

Before understanding the effects of excessive protein intake, it’s important to know how much Required Daily Intake (RDI) of protein is. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 gm per kilogram of your body weight. But increasing energy expenditure levels are being balanced out by higher protein intake. This is due to intensive muscle breakdown after exercising.

Studies have shown that the best way to optimise the benefits of protein is by regulating your protein intake. That is, plan out your meals in such a way that you can eat protein in small amounts throughout the day. Chicken, turkey, eggs, lentils, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt are great sources of protein.

Excessive protein intake

In normal cases, eating too much protein only makes you feel full. You’ll need more energy to digest all of it. So it’s a good idea for people looking at weight loss practices. But, anything more than that can be harmful. Your body tends to store extra protein as fat, so it’s essential to burn it down.  

Also, if you have kidney problems, a diet that’s rich in proteins can deteriorate your condition. Also, if you’ve been recommended a lower intake of lean meats, like cutting down on sausages and hot dogs for your heart health, you’re probably required to stay away from too much protein.

When your protein intake is high and other nutrients are compromised, the side effects keep hovering around. For instance, low fibre intake can lead to constipation. Meat and dairy aren’t fibre-rich, so you have to eat veggies to maintain your digestive health.

What to do if you’ve eaten too much protein?

There’s not much to worry about, though. Make sure you drink water to get rid of nitrogen from protein to improve your kidney’s health. And of course, eating a balanced diet is the solution to most of your problems. Include all macronutrients that you’ve possibly skipped. It’s ideal to get regular check-ups when it comes to your health, so keep that in mind too.