Can Consuming Too Much Protein Cause Kidney Disease or Bone Loss?

I am routinely asked if a high protein diet causes stress on the kidneys or worse, could result in kidney disease and if too much protein leads to bone loss.

The short answers are:  No

Both mistaken beliefs are the textbook definition of backward thinking.

So what’s the truth?

Studies show that the degeneration of the kidney is slowed somewhat in patients who are experiencing renal (kidney) failure on a low protein diet. I remind you this observation was made for patients who HAVE kidney disease.  So, somehow the illogical reverse conclusion was devised that therefore high protein diets must cause kidney failure!  Which of course is not true nor am I aware of any case or study that support protein causes damage in a healthy kidney.

The similarly flawed assumption persists that high protein diets cause bone loss due to increased excretion of urinary excretion in attempt to maintain PH balance. It IS true that osteoporosis can be detected by elevated calcium excretion in the urine (Osteoporosis is the condition where bones becoming weak and brittle as a result of new bone tissue not being created as quickly as old bone tissue is wasting).

In a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition observed that calcium leeching occurred on vegetarian based incomplete protein diets causing lower bone density. Animal source proteins are complete proteins and increased bone density.A California study of 572 women and 388 men aged between 55-92 years of age found that for every 15 grams per day increase in animal based protein overall bone mineral density increased.

The opposite occurred in plant based diets because they consist of incomplete proteins and lowered bone mineral density. The study also showed that increased calcium intake did not protect vegetarian based diets.

Conclusion:

When you consider the phenomenal amount of functions that require protein, I would prefer to err reasonably on the side of more complete protein than less.

Protein constitutes our muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, nails, hair, and some body fluids including hemoglobin is comprised of protein.

Protein makes movement possible as every one of our muscles are composed of contractile protein that convert energy into animation – pushing and pulling our bones which are also comprised of structural proteins.

Proteins act as enzymes, hormones and antibodies, they maintain fluid and pH balance, protein is an essential structural component of every cell in your body and make brain function possible… protein acts as a neurotransmitters or precursors of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that carry information from one cell to another.

Together consuming complete protein and calcium the major constituent of bone tissue maintain the delicate balance of fluid and electrolytes that are required to carry out normal neural, cellular and muscular functions.  In fact, all muscular contraction (which includes weight training!) is made possible by calcium.

Key points to remember:

Bones are a living tissue that respond just like muscles, when a load is placed on bones through resistance (weight) training complimented with a complete protein will improve bone density.

In a clinical study of calcium supplements: Calcium pills were absorbed more effectively when adequate amounts of complete protein was present.

If you want to build or maintain strong bones, make sure you are consuming adequate amounts of calcium… and bone building proteins with the complete amino acid profile like those founds in meats, eggs and fish.

© 2012 – Copyrights Grant Roberts, All Rights Reserved