The Downside of Protein Loading

A Plethora of Protein
Q Should I worry about eating too much protein?

A If you’re not pumping up your intake, you don’t have much to worry about. The American Dietetic Association recommends 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If you’re a 135-pound woman, that’s about 49 grams—what you’d get from a daily diet that includes a 4-ounce serving of salmon, 8 ounces of yogurt, and a handful of nuts.

However, if you’re following one of the ragingly popular low-carb, high-protein diets, you might have reason to worry. “People on these diets are easily getting twice as much protein as they need,” says Dave Grotto, director of nutrition education at the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care in Chicago. The problem, he says, is that the excess causes the kidneys to excrete more calcium. To compensate, the body draws calcium from bones, potentially increasing the risk of osteoporosis. If you’re set on the diet, taking extra calcium may help.