Is drinking protein powder bad for your kidneys?

As long as there is no problem with kidney function, then drinking some protein powder appropriately is good for the body, especially for those who are in the fitness and weight loss stage. It has a good health care effect and can promote the synthesis of body protein. However, when drinking protein powder, you should be aware of some precautions. If your kidney function is poor, try not to drink protein powder to avoid increasing the burden on your kidneys.

Is drinking protein powder bad for your kidneys?

At present, some people have misunderstandings about protein consumption. They think that protein is a nutrient and should be eaten more. In addition to eating meat, fish, eggs and milk every day, they also supplement with protein powder. In fact, this view is wrong, because eating too much protein will increase the burden on the kidneys and cause kidney damage over a long period of time. Furthermore, in this day and age, food and clothing have been basically solved, and most people will not lack protein and cause malnutrition, so there is no need to supplement protein in large quantities.

Protein is known as the "cement" that strengthens the body. Its function is to repair and build tissues. Only protein has the function of repairing tissues. More protein is needed during infancy, adolescence, pregnancy, etc. Protein is composed of many amino acids. Some amino acids can be produced by the human body, but some only exist in food. Therefore, choosing the right food is a very important task for the human body.

Judging from the current eating habits of Chinese people, the protein intake still exceeds the amount recommended by the Nutrition Society. Long-term excessive protein intake puts a heavy burden on our kidneys. It is better to abuse the kidneys less, otherwise if they are damaged, they cannot be saved! How to correct your diet to reduce the burden on your body? The simplest way is to maintain a total intake of about 4 servings of eggs, beans, fish and meat per day. If you distribute them evenly among the three meals, you can choose an egg or a piece of tofu in the shape of a field for breakfast, which is about 1 serving; for lunch you can choose a main course such as spare ribs or a small yellow croaker or saury, which is about 2 servings; dinner is similar to lunch, so that is about 4-5 servings a day. It doesn't matter if you go out for social events occasionally, as long as you adjust the before and after meals slightly, it won't exceed too much.

Misconceptions about protein powder

Some protein powder consumers, either with good intentions or encouraged by advertisements, have endowed protein powder with too many "super powers", resulting in some misunderstandings.

1. Rely on protein powder to lose weight

Among some weight loss enthusiasts, a "high-protein weight loss method" was once widely circulated. The core of this weight loss method is to only eat protein foods such as protein powder, and not eat fat and sugar. The result is an excess of protein and a serious lack of essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. If things go on like this for a long time, it will cause anemia and malnutrition. The result may be that you may not lose weight but get hurt first.

2. Rely on protein powder to grow taller and smarter

Some parents believe that protein powder is a good thing and eating more of it can help children grow taller and improve their intelligence. In fact, a child’s height and intellectual development are affected by many factors. The protein that protein powder can provide is only a part of the overall nutrition. It can neither, nor should, replace other nutrients. On the contrary, consuming large amounts of protein powder may cause an invisible and serious burden on children's tender kidneys and livers.

3. Enhance immunity with protein powder

"Rome was not built in a day." The establishment and maintenance of resistance is a complex systems engineering. It relies on the body's own regulation, appropriate energy intake, and a reasonable and complete nutrient composition. Obviously, protein powder alone is not enough. Not only is it not enough, but if you don't eat well and simply rely on protein powder, it will only damage your immunity.

4. Rely on protein powder to promote fetal growth and development

Protein alone is far from enough for the normal growth and development of the fetus. Without the right carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins and trace elements, no amount of protein will help the growth and development of the fetus. On the contrary, it will increase the visceral burden of pregnant women.