All over the world you will hear people saying that high protein diets are bad for your health.
That they will damage your kidneys and liver and generally make you unwell.
Is this actually backed by science?
What do the studies tell us?
In a recent October 2015 study (eg around 18 months old) 48 subjects (a mixture of men and women) were given 3.4g of protein per kilo of bodyweight. This for a 100kg man, would thus be around 340g per day of protein.
Control groups of 2g per kilo and 3g per kilo of bodyweight were also given protein based on their weight – again 200g for a 100kg man at 2g per kilo body weight or 300g for 100kg man at 3g per kilo.
The results came back and in terms of fat free mass gained (FFM) and overall body composition it was mostly beneficially gained in the 3.4g per kilo body weight group.
Ok they looked better, but were they healthy being on this high 3.4g/kg body weight amount of protein?
The study confidently stated, there were no changes in any of the blood parameters (i.e., basic metabolic panel). That is to say heart, liver, kidneys, thyroid etc were all unaffected by a high level of protein in their diet.
What can I take away from this then?
Consuming a high protein diet (3.4 g/kg/d) in conjunction with a heavy resistance-training program may confer benefits with regards to body composition. Furthermore, there is no evidence that consuming a high protein diet has any deleterious effects. That is to say, you can consume a significant amount of protein without negative effects on your body.
What should I not take from this?
If you have any illnesses, it is ALWAYS best to consult a Dr and have them monitor any new exercise regime and diet that you are following. In fact, it can never hurt anyone to have regular blood tests to make sure they are functioning well and healthy – a healthy body will ALWAYS respond better than one that is ill/suffering from ailments.
Read the study – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26500462
