How Much Protein Is Too Much For You

Too much protein can lead to bad breath, indigestion and loss of fluid from the body. Protein from meat, dairy, and processed food can lead to a lot of lifestyle and terminal diseases. Thumb rule: Keep your protein intake to less than 35 per cent of your daily calorie intake.

Protein is essential for cell functioning, tissue building and helping blood to carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

On the other hand, low protein intake causes fatigue, brain fog, and slow rate of recovery from illness, particularly among the elderly along with loss of muscle mass. If you have kidney challenges then keep a track of your protein intake. Know your sources of protein for avoiding health issues in the future.

At times, however, we overload ourselves with too much protein leading to liver and kidney challenges.

What Should Be Our Protein Intake?

Thumb rule is one gram per kg of your body weight, but still all depends on your age, lifestyle and gender. Athletes, lactating mothers and growing children need 1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight. But still have a word with your home physician.

We unknowingly at times have too much protein but consistently having a high protein diet gives an overdrive and overload to the digestive system, gut, liver and kidney functions, which is bad for the body. This leads to dehydration, fatigue, headaches, digestion problems and convulsion & stroke.

On the safe side do not exceed more than 35 per cent of protein intake of your daily calories. If you feel it is high then it is time to rethink your diet plan. Those who have good body mass minus fat then a little extra protein are not too risky as the protein will be utilised for structural maintenance of the body.

Proteins are broken down to amino acids which are not produced in the body, and interestingly it can’t store the extra protein and it is excreted from the body.

Signs of High Protein Intake

Most of us we do not worry of high protein intake till the side effect reflect it all:

Bad Breath: This is due to the good bacteria breaking down the protein and odours smell like rotten cabbage or rotten egg something near to sulphur.

Gastrointestinal Tract: Having high protein means we are missing out on fibre diet. Typical signs are diarrhoea, nausea or fatigue after meals.

Appetite Loss: High protein intake leads to appetite loss and makes you feel full most of the time.

Weight Gain: Too much protein can lead to weight gain, consuming too much calories in the form of protein leads to weight gain. When protein is not utilised then excess calories from protein are stored as fat leading to obesity.

As too much protein has its side effects, have an appointment with the doctor if you have any of the symptoms — fatigue, regular urination, foamy red tinge urine, troubled sleep, itchy skin, cramps, and swollen ankles & legs.

Good Protein Source

There is no bad protein, but watch out that you do not have saturated fat and carbohydrates with your protein source. Fatty meats and processed foods increase the risk of terminal diseases. Protein supplements, energy bars and drinks contain a lot of additives and preservatives – avoid them or have them in a controlled manner. When you are having protein supplement have a look at the label and ingredient list. Have them in moderation and go in for recommended serving size. There is no ideal time for proteins to have it through the day and balancing it will help in maintaining a lean body mass. Always aim for a healthier protein source – lean meat or plant protein. Monitor your protein intake if you have kidney challenges.