Athletes, body builders and people who want to lose weight use protein drinks regularly. Protein is necessary for the building of lean muscle and for preventing muscle loss due to overexertion or physical inactivity due to illness or injury. Protein also helps people who are trying to lose weight without losing muscle. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, however and although protein drinks have been around for a long time, there are some dangers associated with protein drinks use.
Kidney Problems
Too much protein in the system can cause kidney stones. Kidney stones are painful calcium deposits inside the kidney. Though they look round and smooth like a river stone on X-Ray, all kidney stones are covered in sharp spurs that cut and scrape the kidney. Stones also make it more difficult for the kidney to function normally, because they block the flow of urine out of the kidney. The spurs cutting and scraping the kidney can cause infection to develop as well; a stone with infection can be life-threatening and excruciatingly painful.
Dehydration
A high protein diet can lead to dehydration, because there is less vegetable matter in the body to hold water. Not drinking extra water while using protein shakes can lead to harmful dehydration. Dehydration can lead to heat stroke, heart attack, contribute to the formation of kidney stones, and cause other severe health problems.
Bone Loss
Using protein shakes can lead to osteoporosis, or bone loss, because you won't be getting enough nutrients. There are certain nutrients that a person cannot get from pure protein. You need carbohydrates as well as vegetables to keep your body healthy. Moderation and balance are always key.
Ketosis
This is a starvation situation. Not getting enough nutrients and getting too much protein, causes the body to make ketones, which use insulin to activate themselves. It works in stages: You don't get the proper nutrition by balancing your diet; your body releases ketones and activates them on insulin. The ketones burn fat as fuel for the body. The ketones and the fat are processed mainly in the liver. Ketosis causes liver damage, and it can be life-threatening.
Constipation
Constipation results when the body does not get enough fiber and enough water to flush itself out. Constipation can cause illness, because the body is not flushing toxins from the breakdown of foods in the system. Constipation is also quite painful. It causes bloating, making clothing tight. It also causes temporary weight gain, and gives you a look as if you were a few months' pregnant, or that you are apple-shaped and overweight when you aren't.
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