The Dangers Women Face When They Consume Too Much Protein
We’ve all heard about how protein is good for a woman’s diet and how we need to make sure we have enough protein-rich foods on our plates. But, is it possible to have too much of a good thing? Could some women be eating too much protein?
The answer is yes.
Some not-so-pleasant things can happen when we eat too much protein. We’re going to take a look at how much is too much and when you may want to pump the brakes on your protein intake.
What is protein and what foods is it found in?
Protein is a macronutrient and is one of the three nutrients found in food that the body needs. It helps to build body tissues and muscles. Protein is important for the growth and repair of body cells.
If people don’t have enough protein it can lead to a poor immune system and problems with growth. This is why you want to have enough protein in your diet.
The typical Western Diet suggests getting your protein from animal-based sources such as meat, dairy, chicken, and fish. But you can find protein in a long list of other foods as well. This includes:
Tofu, tempeh, and edamame
Lentils
Chickpeas
Nuts and legumes
Quinoa
Chia seeds
Broccoli
Even greens and veggies contain protein. There are enough different items there to build your meals and snacks off of throughout the day. But, you want to be careful not to pack on too much protein.
How much protein should a woman eat?
This is a million-dollar question that doesn’t have one right answer. That’s because the recommended dietary allowance is based on a woman’s body weight.
And new research shows we don’t need as much protein as we once though.
The average adult requires no more than 0.8 or 0.9 grams of protein per healthy kilogram of body weight per day. As Dr. Michael Greger, author of How Not To Die, and founder of NutritionFacts.org suggests, “On average, they probably only need about 30 daily grams of protein, which is 0.66 grams per kilogram, but we round it up to 0.8 or 0.9 grams because everyone’s different and we want to capture most of the bell curve.”
It requires a little bit of math to figure out your daily protein requirement.
Are you ready?
Okay, since most of us weigh ourselves using pounds, not kilograms, let’s figure this out in pounds. To find your daily protein requirement you want to take your ideal weight in pounds multiplied by four and then divided by ten.
Don’t want to do the math? Then check out my Daily Protein Intake Calculator here to figure out how much protein you should be consuming each day.
So, let’s say someone’s ideal weight is 100 pounds. That person would probably only need 30 grams of protein each day. However, they may require up to 40 grams of protein a day depending upon their age and how intense they exercise.
So what does that mean?
Well, the truth is that most people consume far more protein than their body needs – especially for those following a traditional western diet.
To put it in perspective, a glass of milk has 8 grams of protein. Three ounces of cooked turkey or chicken has 19 grams of protein, and a ½ cup of cooked beans has 8 grams of protein. If you consumed all of that in one meal, you may have consumed far more protein than you need in an entire day.
How much protein is too much?
We live in a protein-obsessed culture. And the reality is that if you’re consuming more than 0.8 or 0.9 grams of protein per healthy kilogram of body weight per day you’re overdoing it.
Research indicates that eating more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight daily of protein can cause health issues if it’s done consistently.
What happens when women eat too much protein?
When women eat too much protein they can experience many uncomfortable problems as well as some serious issues. Too much protein can lead to:
Nausea
Dehydration
Diarrhea
Stomach pains
Indigestion
More serious health problems can include:
Seizures
Kidney problems
Cardiovascular problems
Blood vessel disorders
Another danger comes if women who are on a high-protein diet eat too much red meat as part of their diet. This can lead to eating more saturated fat which can lead to a higher risk of heart disease and colon cancer.
Cholesterol levels can also jump because some foods that are high in protein are also high in cholesterol. This can also impact a woman’s health. It all depends on where your protein source is coming from. Women who eat a high-protein plant-based diet shouldn’t run into that issue.
The takeaway
The big thing to remember about protein is that we all need it in our diets, but too much of it can cause problems. Once you figure out how much protein you should have in your diet, look for foods that will help you reach that goal. Remember to limit your meat consumption as it can increase your risk of cardiovascular issues and cholesterol problems.
As with anything, protein is a case of everything in moderation if you want to maintain a healthy diet.