Protein Powder Side Effects

Proteins are very essential for the body as they keep the skin healthy, boost the immune system, speed up the body's healing process, develop and strengthen muscles. People generally take a high protein diet, as a daily intake of adequate amount of proteins is necessary to build muscles and tissues of the body. Bodybuilders who undertake lots of exercises and weightlifting activities need extra protein to strengthen muscles. So, they eat bodybuilding supplements, like protein powder, for this purpose. However, as excess of everything is bad, similarly, consuming protein powder in excess can be detrimental to one's health. Following are the side effects of protein powder, but before that a little information on what they are made of and how they are consumed...

What is Protein Powder?
Protein powders that are available in the market are made from either of the four sources namely, egg, soy, whey or rice. Organic whey protein powder is widely available too. People consume protein powder after mixing it in water, milk or a fruit juice, or they may also add the protein powder to breakfast cereals, porridge, soups and a whole lot of other dishes.

Side Effects of Protein Powder
Protein powder intake depends on a number of factors like age, weight and the amount of physical activity a person undertakes. So, it is always recommended to consult a nutritionist, before including it in your diet, as when taken in wrong quantities, it can produce many side effects.

Deficiency of Calcium
Consumption of excess protein powder turns the blood acidic in nature. In order to neutralize this, the bones in the body release calcium into the blood. The calcium reduces the acids in the blood and makes it basic again. However, in this whole process, the body loses out on a lot of calcium. Diseases, such as osteoporosis, can be caused due to deficiency of calcium.

Malfunctioning of Kidneys
As mentioned above, taking protein powder in excess, releases calcium in the blood. This calcium gets deposited in the kidneys and results in kidney malfunction, and may sometimes leads to the formation of kidney stones too. The body may develop ketosis. Ketosis is a condition of chronic starvation caused in the human body, due to lack of carbohydrates. Ketosis can be very detrimental to the kidneys.

Effect on Liver
Consumption of protein powder in excess can be very damaging for the liver. This is due to the fact that the liver in the human body has a limited capacity to assimilate proteins. When protein powder is consumed in excess, the liver is pressurized to a great extent, while assimilating the excess proteins.

Allergic Reaction
One of the side effects of whey protein powder is that it may trigger an allergic reaction in people who have a lactose intolerance. This is due to the fact that whey protein powder is made from milk, and one of the principal contents of milk is lactose. So, consuming whey protein powder can cause allergy in some people. That is why people prefer rice protein powder instead of whey protein, as rice protein powder does not cause an allergic reaction. The reason for this is that rice protein powder is not made from milk. Another option is to go in for whey protein isolate instead, as it consists of only one percent concentration of lactose.

Gastrointestinal Problems
Such problems are primarily caused due to the soy protein powder. An excess consumption of soy protein powder can cause flatulence, indigestion and bloating.

Ketosis
Ketosis is a state wherein the body experiences chronic starvation. Researches have shown that excess protein, taken by way of protein powders, can cause this condition, affecting the kidneys in the process and causing a deficiency of carbohydrates in the body. This can be damaging for the liver and can even destroy the muscle tissues.

Besides the ones listed above, other minor side effects resulting from incorrect intake of protein powder are - a feeling of nausea, general fatigue, weight loss, headaches and muscle cramps. Looking at the grave side effects of the protein powders, or for that matter, any other body building supplements, it can be concluded that a natural healthy diet is much more fruitful and effective. A balanced diet, which includes all the required nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and fats, obtained from natural products, is the key to healthy living.