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What Happens to Your Body If You Eat Too Much Protein?

You may think that eating a lot of protein is good for your body, after all, with the amount of high protein diets on the market you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s impossible to eat too much protein, but that’s not entirely true.

First, how much protein is too much? According to Huffington Post, the Institutes of Medicine states that the average adult needs around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram (so depending on your weight this would usually mean the average male needs more protein than the average female).

There is no denying that your body needs protein for repairing cells and maintaining healthy muscles and bones, but there are risks that come with having a diet that consists of too much protein, and these side effects include elevated blood sugar levels, stress on the kidneys, and weight gain.

Eating too much protein can also influence your mood because when you are eating large amounts of proteins you are often eater fewer carbs, and your brain needs the sugar from those carbs to function. Another effect on your brain would be a tired, foggy feeling which is caused by a sugar deficit from the brain and is usually an outcome of consuming too much protein.

Another con of too much protein is that you may feel constipated, which is caused because of the lack of fiber in your diet.

But perhaps the most dangerous part of eating too much protein is the effect that it can have on your kidneys, if you already suffer from kidney disease, because it reportedly puts strain on the kidneys as they work to clear the metabolites found in protein. And it’s not just your kidneys but also your liver because according to Livestrong, a 2006 edition of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism found that too much protein can affect your liver’s ability to break down the excess protein.

If you have started eating significantly more protein, without cutting down on your carbs, or reducing calories in other ways, you are undoubtedly going to put on weight. Instead, it’s better to eat a more balanced meal that consists of vegetables, lean protein, and whole-grains.


[Image via Shutterstock]

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