Episode 96: Is it Dangerous to Eat Too Much Protein? Debunking the Myths

Is too much protein bad for your kidneys? Will your body “waste” anything over 30 grams in a meal? In this week's episode we’re busting the most common myths around protein intake—especially the fear of overdoing it. The truth is, most women aren’t eating enough protein, and it could be the missing link in your fat loss, energy, and hormone health.

 In This Episode:

• Why the “protein hurts your kidneys” myth isn’t backed by science (unless you have kidney disease)
• The truth about how much protein your body can use in one sitting
• The powerful non-muscle benefits of eating more protein: blood sugar, satiety, metabolism, and more
• Why most women are under-eating protein—and how that’s harming fat loss and health
• A reality check on carb and fat overconsumption vs. protein intake
• What it would actually take to eat a dangerous amount of protein (hint: it’s a LOT)

Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed it.

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Transcript

0:46

Hey everyone. Welcome back to the Booster Metabolism after age 30. You've got Joe here today as your host, and today we're gonna be tackling a big nutrition myth, which is, can you eat too much protein? So you might have heard that high protein diets are bad for your kidneys. That your body can only use so much protein at one setting or that it's unnecessary to eat more than a few ounces of protein at any given meal. But today we're gonna clear that up. And here's the spoiler alert. Most people aren't eating enough protein. That's much more of a concern than eating too much protein. So the first thing that we're gonna talk about is the kidney myth. So one of the most common fears we hear is that eating too much protein is going to be harmful to your kidneys. And really this idea mostly comes from studies on people who already have kidney disease, but for healthy individuals, there really is no scientific evidence that a high protein diet causes kidney damage. And in fact, there have been multiple clinical trials and reviews that show that even eating up to 2.8 grams. A protein per kilogram of body weight doesn't even negatively affect kidney function in healthy people. So really nothing to worry about in terms of your kidneys unless you've been diagnosed with kidney disease and you can feel confident that more protein is certainly not going to shut your kidneys down. So that's the first myth to debunk. The second myth that I wanna talk about is the myth that you can only use so much protein at once. We hear a lot, Hey, you can only absorb 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. So any other protein you eat during a meal is just a waste. And so the truth here is a little bit nuanced. And so there is a muscle building limit of how much protein your body can use for muscle synthesis. But it's not a health or absorption limit. So yes, your muscle protein synthesis maxes out at around 20 to 35 grams of protein in one sitting or at one meal, but it doesn't mean the rest of that protein is going to waste. Your body still uses any extra protein for other important functions like enzyme production, immune health. Hormone creation and even just as an energy source so that protein isn't wasted and more importantly it isn't harmful. And that's for the reason I'm going to talk about next, or the next myth I'm going to debunk I is that. Protein benefits go way beyond muscle. Yes, it is absolutely true that you need protein and you need a lot of protein to build muscle or to have any significant gains at the gym. But it also plays a huge role in blood sugar stabilization. It slows down the absorption of carbs and prevents blood sugar spikes. It helps with satiety. It keeps you feeling full for longer and reduces cravings. I find that it re reduces sugar cravings and alcohol cravings when I've got enough protein in my body. It has a very high thermic effect. This is one of the ways that it boosts your metabolism. Yes it helps you build muscle, which certainly boosts your metabolism. But protein also has the highest thermic effect of all macronutrients, meaning your body burns more calories. Digesting protein as compared to carbs or fats. And so if you're going to overeat something in a given meal, I would say that you want to overeat protein because you're gonna burn more of the calories from that protein, just digesting it. And then the latest the kind of the most exciting way that protein is a huge benefit is that, some, there are some schools of thought that it actually is like a fat burning, supplement. So there's research out new research suggesting that protein rich diets can help your body burn fat. Again, that's not just because you're burning muscle, or I'm sorry, building muscle, but there's some information to suggest and they don't really know the science behind it. But that protein is also like a fat burner on its own. And it's definitely going to improve your body composition by helping you build muscle, but. Beyond that. They also think it also has an extra fat burning property. So yeah, so eating protein isn't just about building muscle. Its benefits go way beyond just building muscle. Okay. So the next thing I wanna talk about is, again, like I said, we, especially our, our, most of our clients are women and we get it. From time to time, our clients or people that we talk to have a real concern that they're going to eat too much protein, and I think the bigger problem is women not eating. I think the bigger problem is women. Eating not enough protein. So if there's any risk with protein, it's in my opinion, not getting enough of it. So most women over 30 are eating far less protein than they need to maintain muscle regulate hormones and STA lean. Our goal with all of our clients is to get them up to at least a hundred grams per day. I would say on average. Most of our clients come to us eating somewhere around half of that amount of protein in a day, maybe 40 grams or so. And so that means you really, they're probably overeating fats and carbs more than they are overeating protein. The optimal amount of protein to eat, especially as you get older, is one gram per pound of ideal body weight. So why is this, dangerous or unhealthy to not eat enough protein? You are going to lose. More muscle as you age if you're not eating enough protein to support it. We already on our own, start losing muscle when we hit age 30. And if you're not supporting the muscle that you do have by eating enough protein, you can probably accelerate that. Again people tend to have more hunger and cravings when they're not eat eating enough protein. It makes it more difficult to lose fat. And then if you are working out in any capacity not even eating enough protein can definitely impact your ability to recover. And we often also hear from clients who go to, I would say, old school dieticians who worry about them eating too much protein. And like I said, there's just tons of research that it's really not dangerous. And I see the real danger being more that women are not eating enough protein. So I would worry about that more than I would worry about eating too much protein. Okay. So that sort of leads me to the next topic is about there being a double standard about between carbs and fats and proteins. So no one worries that they're eating too many carbs or fats or that eating too much carbs or fats will shut down their kidneys. But that's actually where we tend to overdo it the most. No one says, oh, I'm so you, you want me to eat this many carbs? Or, if I eat a bagel and a piece of fruit at breakfast, I'm gonna overdo it on carbs and shut down my kidneys. But somehow, we think like eating two servings of protein or even four or five servings of protein a day is considered dangerous. So that's again, that, that's old thinking. It's old science. And I would rather have you overeating protein than carbs or fats. Not, you do need carbs and fats also. You really want a healthy balance of all three. If you're going to overeat something, you're probably better off overeating protein I. Okay. And then the last thing to talk about is really how hard it would be to eat too much protein. If you are aiming for 120 to 150 grams of protein a day, that is very much a safe and healthy range. That my, my daily target for protein is 150 grams of protein. I'm five eight. I always say my fighting weight is around 150 pound pounds. I notice when I don't eat that much, I do start to lose some muscle. And that's, that is my minimum. But I have to work really hard to eat that much protein. In terms of a danger zone of what would be too much protein? It'd probably be around twice that amount. Eating around three to 400 grams of protein in a single day. So just to give you some perspective, that would be eating like 10 to 12 chicken breasts. Or 12 protein shakes. And so I just don't know anyone that's doing that sort of on their own. Without thinking about it, most people have to work really hard to even get to that. Like I said, a hundred, 120 to 150 grams of protein a day. I know that I feel like I'm just eating it all the time, like every few hours to get to my 150 grams. And there's, if you go a little above that there's just no harm in that. It's not going to do anything anything dangerous to your body. So the big takeaways here is that protein is not dangerous. It's definitely an essential protective. Macronutrient that you need. You cannot live without protein and it's hugely beneficial. Just this fear of eating too much protein, I would say is definitely outdated and misinformed. So my challenge to you is if you're a listener, track your protein for a day. Are you getting close to a hundred grams? If not, that's likely a big reason why you're struggling with cravings or low energy, or just can't seem to lose body fat. Take a look at how much protein you're eating. Do not be worried. Again, like I said, most of our clients, when they come to us, we almost have to double their protein intake and they notice a big difference in how they feel. Their hunger levels, how well they recover at the gym, so it can be a real game changer. And if you're not sure how to hit your protein goals. In a sustainable, realistic way without living on protein shakes and chicken, please consider scheduling a discovery call with us. Reach out to us about coaching. We can definitely teach you how to build meals and a nutrition plan that works for your body and your lifestyle. So that's all I have for today. Thanks for listening and we will catch you next time. Thanks everyone. Bye.