It's safe to have protein shakes every day, but make sure you get most of your protein and other foods from whole food sources. Without whole food sources, you'll miss out on other valuable nutrients that are vital to health and that promote performance and recovery during training. Getting all your protein from powders may not be the best idea, as it could restrict your intake of vitamins and minerals from other foods. Check with your doctor before introducing protein powder into your diet and be especially careful if you are taking any medications.
Keep track of your protein intake and use powders to meet your daily needs if you have difficulty getting enough protein by eating foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and beans. Adding protein powder to a glass of milk or a shake may seem like an easy way to improve your health. After all, protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle, bone strength, and numerous body functions. In addition, many older adults don't consume enough protein because of reduced appetite.
I see that there is a problem with using protein shakes every day. It's not good for you, as it puts a lot of pressure on your kidneys and liver. A person who would need additional protein is someone who is elderly or who is breastfeeding or pregnant. Even if you're working out quite intensely, you won't need that extra protein in the form of whey protein.
Protein powders will add protein to the diet, but they do not contain important sources of other nutrients that the body needs. Therefore, if you were to increase the amount of protein in your diet, you would need to take a balanced supplement that not only contains the protein, but also contains vitamins and minerals. Adults, starting at age 18, need more than 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram per day, which is equivalent to about 56 grams of protein per day. Most Australians eat much more protein than they actually need.
Therefore, protein deficiencies are very rare, and you can get all the protein you need through your diet without having to add additional protein shakes every day. I agree with Tracey Eppel that added protein puts a greater strain on the liver and kidneys and is not needed by the average person. However, if you were to supplement your food with protein shakes, I would only recommend it if you had a thorough understanding of your own nutrition to balance your vitamins and minerals, or if a nutrition expert had recommended it. Researchers tested 134 products for 130 types of toxins and found that many powdered proteins contained heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury), bisphenol A (BPA, which is used to make plastic), pesticides, or other contaminants related to cancer and other health conditions.
Since most plant-based products don't contain all nine essential amino acids, you'll need to mix and match them with other types of plant proteins to get all the nutrition you need. To make sure you're getting enough protein, keep in mind that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is approximately 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, according to Harvard Health. To get enough protein, you're likely to rely on animal sources such as meat, dairy products, fish, and eggs. Some protein shakes contain added vitamins and minerals and are more of a “general mix” used instead of a meal.
If you've already been infected with hepatitis A, then your liver won't fully work to cure it if you eat more protein. While there may be no particular risks from consuming protein powder every day, you shouldn't exceed your daily protein needs. With the addition of milk, some nuts, fruit and even low-fat yogurt, you'll meet your protein needs and have a more nutritionally balanced meal. The ingredients in protein powders can vary greatly, says nutritionist Mike Roussell on the Shape magazine website.
