There is no known safety limit for protein powder. Most research shows that healthy people can tolerate up to 1.5 grams of protein per pound (3.3 grams per kg) of body weight per day, from both food and protein supplements, with no side effects. When it comes to protein powder, you should avoid consuming more than 50 grams in a day because it can cause health problems. You need a balance of macro and micronutrients, as well as vitamins and minerals, to help your body function at optimal levels.
Protein powder is mostly made up of protein, which is great when you need an extra boost of protein, but your body needs much more to fuel it. In addition to your protein shakes, you should consume foods with carbohydrates, good fats, vitamins and minerals. Limit yourself to one or two protein shakes per day and focus on the foods you eat during meals. It's safe to have more than one protein shake a day, but the experts we spoke to recommended limiting your intake to three.
Quinoa, an ancient grain native to South America, has eight grams of protein in one cup, but it also contains vital nutrients such as fiber, manganese, magnesium and iron. In fact, research indicates just the opposite: a high-protein diet confers a number of health benefits, and a high-quality protein powder is a great way to increase protein intake. The recommended dietary intake (RDI) established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Medicine is 46 grams of protein for people assigned as women at birth (AFAB) and 56 grams for people assigned as men at birth (AMAB). However, they noted that a higher amount of protein could be optimal if you do frequent and intense resistance training, and especially when you're also restricting calories to lose fat.
Protein is essential for body functions because almost every part of the body is made up of proteins and amino acids, which come together to create proteins. However, as with anything else, if you take excessive protein supplements, you can experience negative side effects, such as nutritional deficiencies and gastrointestinal problems. If you use protein shakes as a meal replacement, you'll need to work hard to get enough of your key nutrients in other foods to avoid deficiencies. That said, there have been scandals that make potential consumers of protein powder think, such as the Consumer Reports reveal that several brands of protein powders, such as BSN, Muscle Milk, MuscleTech and GNC, contained high levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury.
In the case of protein powders, it's best to ensure that yours is made from complete protein sources, such as peas, whey, and brown rice. This is less of a problem with whey protein isolate, which is lactose-free, but it can still occur. Protein powder is a beneficial supplement to include in the daily diet, as it can increase protein intake without adding too many extra calories. Recreational athletes need 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN).
For this reason, several studies have shown that increasing protein intake from protein powders can improve blood sugar, body composition, bone density and other health markers. With nearly eight grams of protein in every two tablespoons of peanut butter, you can use this protein source as the main component of a meal (think a peanut butter and jam sandwich) or as a healthy snack accompanied by slices of fruit. Well, according to some people, if you drink too many protein shakes, you're facing all kinds of problems, from an upset stomach to serious digestive disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and even kidney damage. In addition, a protein-rich diet has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve blood glucose control in diabetics, which would reduce the risk of kidney disease, not increase it.
