When you talk about a balanced diet, there are several parts to it. Protein, one of the essential nutrients for your body, is also one of the parts of a balanced diet. It is basically the building blocks for your various body tissues. There are several ways to have protein. You may have it in the form of eggs, fish, meat or any other food items or you may also have protein in the form of protein shakes. Just like anything else, having too much protein can have negative effects on your health. According to a recent data, consuming large doses of protein can give rise to kidney stones and it can also damage your liver. In this article we will dive into the can protein shakes cause kidney stones topic.
What Do You Mean by Too Much Protein?
It is said that protein should comprise of around 12% to 20% of your daily total nutrient intake. If you have large doses of protein on a daily basis, it may not always give rise to kidney stones, unless you have a pre-existing kidney condition. Your body has a certain capacity of digesting protein every day. If you start having more protein than the natural capacity of your body to digest the nutrient, it may soon become a problem. Normally, it is recommended to have protein going by a certain calculation. You multiply your body weight in pounds by 0.36. However, if you lead an active lifestyle, you will certainly require more doses of protein on a daily basis.
Kidney Stones
People suffer from kidney stones when various components of urine, such as oxalate, calcium, phosphorus, and uric acid rise and also get out of proper balance. Once the levels of these components get too concentrated, they tend to harden and turn into mineral deposits or tiny stones. These stones can easily prevent the natural flow of liquid and also give rise to infections. When you have more protein than needed, your kidneys start working overtime. This reduces their effectiveness in flushing out the byproducts that arise from the breakdown of protein. This may cause whey protein kidney stones.
Who All Are at Risk?
If you are one of them who is easily susceptible of developing stones in the kidney, having more protein every day can easily increase the risk of kidney stones. Even if you have a family history of kidney stones or repeated cases of infections in the urinary tract or you normally do not have much water and you are obese, you have a major risk of developing kidney stones. If you already suffer from kidney stones stop having excessive quantities of protein every day as this may aggravate the problem.
How to Prevent Kidney Stones?
In order to prevent kidney stones from developing in your kidneys, it is highly recommended that you have around 6 to 8 glasses of water per day. You should have water in 8-ounce glasses. Having plenty of water will help your kidneys to flush out byproducts very easily. Along with water also have around 25gms to 30gms of fiber every day.
