Can Protein Shakes Damage Your Kidneys? Dr. Puneet Dhawan
Protein shakes, which are being commonly derived from milk, eggs or soy – can supply high-quality protein to your diet. If consumed in moderation, protein drinks can make up a part of a balanced and healthy diet. In addition to protein, the shakes essentially provide a good source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals to provide complete nutrition and health.
Despite their ease of use and varieties of nutrients in it, they can be dangerous to your health too. Specifically, excessive protein consumption from various protein shakes may have a negative effect on your kidneys. These supplements also negatively affect your nutritional well being. Can protein shakes damage your kidneys?
The convenience of drinking protein shakes can make it easy to consume more protein than your body actually needs it. Excessive protein intake might not affect your organ health if you are healthy and exercise regularly. However, if you suffer from kidney disease or are at a greater risk of developing it, too much protein intake might lead to further worsening of your conditions, as it becomes strenuous for kidneys to process the excess nitrogen released during protein metabolism.
Kidney Stones
One of the probable side effects of excess intake of protein due to overuse of protein drinks is an increased risk of kidney stones. Due to the crystallization of compounds within the kidneys, stones get developed, which block the tubules within the kidneys or even blocks the ureter (a tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder). While kidney stones might sometimes be asymptomatic, the stones in the ureter might prove both harmful and painful. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that kidney stone formation might be due to protein intake and reducing it can reduce the risk of kidney stone. Protein shake consumption in moderate amount helps keep your protein intake normal and lowers the risk of kidney stone formation. Can protein shakes damage your kidneys?
Kidney Strain
Another side effect of over-consumption of protein shake is kidney strain. The kidneys help filter a number of chemicals including proteins so that the beneficial chemicals stay in the body and waste products and toxins get excreted through urine. Increased protein intake, due to a diet rich in protein shakes, increases the work of kidneys in filtering your blood, as it ensures that maximum protein levels stay within the body. High protein consumption and excessive kidney strain over a period of time might lead to long-term and harmful side effects. Can protein shakes damage your kidneys?
Diminished Kidney Functioning
Diminished Kidney Functioning is a severe and long-term consequence of over-consumption of protein shakes on a regular basis. Over a period of time, the increased kidney strain might lead to a reduced efficiency of kidneys in filtering the blood. As a result, there might be a slight breakdown of the filtration units of kidneys, which as a result would allow nutrients to leak into the urine. The moment a patient gets diagnosed with renal failure, he/she should seek medical attention and avoid protein intake.
