Protein Intake and Kidney Function
What does your daily protein intake have to do with kidney function?
If you’re wondering, “What the heck are you talking about?”, you should probably keep reading.
I’d like to preface this by saying: I am not a doctor. Please listen to your doctor.
Have you ever heard someone say or come across something that says “High protein diets can lead to an increased risk of kidney failure” or “your body can only absorb 30 grams of protein per meal, any more than that is likely to be converted to be stored as fat”. These statements are stretched to make you believe that eating a high protein diet is bad. When all research points to a high protein diet is not only necessary but essential to increasing muscle mass, burning fat, boosting metabolism, and reduces cravings and appetite by helping you stay fuller longer.
Can a high protein diet lead to an increased risk of kidney disease? The short answer is no, as long as you’re in good health and don’t have other underlying conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or have had results from your blood work indicating a low glomerular filtration rate (GFR). If you have any of these conditions, a high protein diet may cause the kidneys to be overworked as one of the kidney’s primary functions is to help aid in digestion, removal of byproducts, and filter wastes.
According to a study done in 2020 by Ko, et al., defining a VERY high-protein diet could be consuming 1.5 grams of protein or more per pound of body weight. With mixed reviews and results in studies done over the past few decades, it's difficult to say whether or not a high-protein diet could cause lower GFRs and decrease efficiency of kidney functions. There’s been numerous studies done to say that it can, and many more that say there’s no association between the two (high-protein diet and kidney function).
Lets review the second statement, “your body can only absorb 30 grams of protein per meal”. As long as you are consuming high quality protein sources in adjunction with other macronutrients, your body can absorb much more than 30 grams of protein per meal. With some proteins, such as casein and dairy products, the absorption rate of protein can slow and further supports muscle recovery and growth and helps keep you feeling fuller for longer. There are few sources of evidence to support the idea that the body can only absorb up to a certain amount of protein per meal.
At the end of the day, and what you should take away most from this article is this:
I am not a doctor. Listen to your doctor.
If you have any pre-existing health conditions or concerns, again, please listen to your doctor.
Consuming a diet that consists of daily protein consumption to be over 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight is likely to be considered a very high-protein diet.
Daily protein recommendations should be somewhere between 0.6 grams - 1.0 grams of protein/ pound of body weight. (This should be primarily high quality protein sources).
Protein is an essential part of your diet.
Your body can absorb more than 30 grams of protein per meal.
References
Ko, G. J., Rhee, C. M., Kalantar-Zadeh, K., & Joshi, S. (2020). The Effects of High-Protein Diets on Kidney Health and Longevity. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN, 31(8), 1667–1679. https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2020010028
Martin, W. F., Armstrong, L. E., & Rodriguez, N. R. (2005). Dietary protein intake and renal function. Nutrition & metabolism, 2, 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-2-25
