Protein is the **macro du jour**, influencers talk about this constantly. Trainers and dietitians create many recipes on social media. Cottage cheese or beans replace cream sauces sometimes. Protein powder goes into cakes and cookies. A survey in 2024 asked 3,000 adults. Seventy-one percent said they try consuming more protein. Most people want extra protein today.
Protein is needed for our body, this is true. It helps build muscle and keep health good. Protein serves like a building block for bones. Skin, hair, and other tissues use it too. But more protein is not always better for you. Eating too much can hurt your health. This is despite its role making enzymes. Enzymes help reactions happen. Protein makes hemoglobin also. That moves oxygen in blood. Your age and activity matter. You might already eat enough protein. Maybe you are having too much right now. This could lead to unexpected problems.
Knowing high protein risks is important for long-term well-being. This is not just about getting muscles bigger. Risks include hormone problems as you age. It is linked to illness too. Protein can strain important body parts. You could have stomach issues also. These risks are really worth thinking about. Let’s see what experts say. They look at protein intake. Sometimes it moves from good to way too much. Where protein comes from matters too. Source can be as key as the amount you eat.
1. **Elevated IGF-1 Levels and Accelerated Aging**:Too much protein can raise **insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)** levels. This is a big worry for some people. It happens especially from animal sources. Dr. Joseph Antoun mentioned this effect. He is CEO of L-Nutra. IGF-1 is a hormone from the liver. It helps with growth and body processes. In kids it’s essential. It fixes muscles for adults. Problems start with constantly high levels.
Consuming excessive amounts of protein, particularly from animal sources, can elevate levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone crucial for growth in children and muscle repair in adults, according to Dr. Joseph Antoun, CEO of L-Nutra, whose concerns highlight potential issues with chronically high IGF-1.
Dr. Antoun suggests that persistently elevated IGF-1 levels may accelerate biological aging and increase the risk of age-related diseases, including certain cancers, due to the promotion of cell growth outpacing cell repair, which can lead to DNA errors and serious health complications.
This danger isn’t only for cancer, know that. Dr. Antoun says growth promotion without repair happens. Elevated IGF-1 causes this he suggests. It can also raise risks for Type 2 diabetes. Heart disease is another worry. He calls high IGF-1.
2. **Kidney Function Issues**:Too much protein, beyond what body needs for muscle work, gets burned for energy instead. This process create a waste stuff called urea. Your kidneys must filter this urea out of your bloodstream. Eating more protein, you produce more urea, pushing kidneys working harder to get rid of it.
Research coming from Madrid in 2024 showed that high-protein eating could maybe cause kidney failure over time. Even folks with good health saw bad effects from plenty protein, per a 2020 report in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology study. About 14 percent of U. S. adults have ongoing kidney sickness. So these possible bad effects from eating excess protein really matters for kidney well-being.
3. **Inflammation**:Science has also looked at links between where protein comes from and body inflammation levels in people. A paper out the University of Navarra Spain said some animal proteins appeared to cause higher inflammation levels. This is compared to protein you get from things like legumes, nuts, and beans. This study especially saw that fat participants getting more protein from meat had higher inflammation.
In contrast to diets high in fish or plant-based proteins, the source of protein significantly influences the body’s inflammatory response; however, one study indicated that higher protein intake, especially from plants, might actually reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in older adults, suggesting the origin of protein is key.
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4. **Risks from Specific Sources: Red and Processed Meat**:Talk about risks for high protein eating, key to know bad results often link more to the *form* protein is in. This is the “protein package” instead simple total amount eaten.
The risk is particularly pronounced with certain meats, as regular consumption of red meat, including processed varieties, has been associated with significant health dangers according to research from Harvard T. H.
Chan School of Public Health saw connections with more risk of heart problems, strokes, and death from heart issue or any other reason. A 2010 study looking at data from over 84,000 women also said high red meat eating grows risk for coronary heart disease. This risk could decrease by changing to other protein food sources. Bowel cancer another very bad thing linked especially to these proteins. Experts like Thornton-Wood explain bowel cancer connects with eating plenty red meat and plenty processed meat as well. In 2015, WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer famously decided eating processed meat is carcinogenic.
Meaning it cause cancer. They said eating red meat is classed as “probably carcinogenic to humans” instead. Eating too much protein from these sources can also means you eat less other healthy foods. Things like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains being less in your diet.
5. **How Much is Too Much?It’s Individual**:Given possible dangers eating too much, natural question appears: how much protein really is too much anyway? The answer not simple one size fits all answer. As it really depend on your own age plus personal aims for health. Dr. Joseph Antoun, CEO of L-Nutra, gives a guide based on how old someone is. If under 65, he says aim for 0.
31 to 0. 36 grams of *plant-based* protein for each pound your body weigh daily. For someone weighing 150 pounds, this adds up roughly to 46. 5 to 54 grams protein each day. For people over 65 years old, Antoun advises increasing protein some. This is if you lose muscle or weight from your body.
He specific recommends getting more protein from foods such fish, eggs, cheese, plus yogurt made from sheep or goat milk for this age group. This is when muscle, strength, or weight loss occurs in them.
It’s easy to misinterpret the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein, which is typically set at 0.83 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, as a target intake rather than a minimum requirement.
In the 2015-2016 period, the average protein intake in the U.S. already exceeded the RDA, with men consuming about 97 grams and women around 69 grams daily, indicating that many individuals likely meet or surpass this baseline recommendation.
Carolyn Ketchum, author of *The Protein Advantage*, clarifies that the RDA ‘never meant to be the optimal or target amount of any nutrient’ but rather ‘the least amount an individual should consume’ to prevent deficiency, noting that these general guidelines don’t account for individual variations in age, gender, and activity levels.
The protein paradox is clear: it’s not just about how much you eat, but where it comes from and how it fits into your overall diet. Animal proteins, particularly red and processed meats, carry higher risks of inflammation and chronic diseases, while plant-based sources like legumes and nuts offer safer, nutrient-dense alternatives.
Ultimately, achieving personalized moderation is essential for everyone, regardless of age or activity level, to meet bodily needs without overconsumption; by prioritizing quality protein sources and paying attention to your body’s signals, you can harness protein’s benefits while sidestepping its risks for true well-being through balance.
