High Protein Diet: Risk Factors Associated With It

High-protein diets are popular these days as more and more people take to the gym. People, who hit the gym regularly, love protein and they even love to talk about it. Protein is an essential macronutrient of a healthy diet. From building and repairing muscles, organs and bones, proteins have innumerable benefits. But high protein diets have also been associated with certain risks — the reason nutritionists are always against exceeding the daily recommended intake.

Consuming high amounts of high protein for a long period can cause an increased risk of some diseases. Some of the drawbacks of having high protein diet according to Healthline are:

Weight gain – High protein consumption can cause weight gain and disrupt your journey of losing weight. As per a 2016 study, weight gain was closely associated with diets where protein replaced carbohydrates and not the other way around.

Bad Breath – Eating too much protein can lead to bad breath if you restrict carbohydrate intake. This could partly be due to the body going into ketosis which produces chemicals that cause the unpleasant fruity smell.

Constipation – In a study related to high protein intake, 44 participants reported constipation. This is because these kinds of diets are related to low fibre intake.

Diarrhoea – While constipation is one of the side effects, another one is the exact opposite of it, diarrhoea. Eating too much dairy or processed food with high protein value coupled with a lack of fibre can cause diarrhoea.

Kidney damage – High protein intake can lead to kidney damage in healthy individuals and those with preexisting kidney disease.

Increased risk of cancer – Studies have shown that certain high protein diets including red meat-based protein are linked to increased risk of cancer and other health issues.

Heart disease – Eating too much red meat and full-fat dairy foods can cause heart disease. This can be a result of a higher intake of saturated fat and cholesterol as a part of a high-protein diet.

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