Safe Amount Of Whey Protein For Women

Whey protein, derived from cow's milk, is a nutritional supplement that adds high-quality protein to your diet. Whey provides all your essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein your body lacks the ability to synthesize. Whey is available as a powder for preparing protein shakes or smoothies and as a pre-made beverage. While whey protein is generally a safe nutritional supplement for women, it also carries potential health risks. Seek the advice of a dietitian when deciding whether to add whey protein to your daily nutrition plan.

Purpose

Whey protein can help you build muscle to support your athletic activities by boosting your daily protein intake and supplying your body with the amino acids you need for muscle growth. On the other hand, if your fitness goal is to lose body fat, whey protein supplements can ensure you consume sufficient protein to maintain your lean muscle mass when you may be restricting carbohydrate or fat calories. Whey protein can also boost your nutrition when recovering from illness or injury. A safe intake of whey protein depends in part on your fitness goals.

Intake

Healthy adults engaging in minimal physical activity should consume 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight, according to Bill Campbell in the September 2007 issue of the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition." If you are moderately active, between 1 and 1.6 g of protein for each kg you weigh should meet your daily protein needs, increasing to 1.6 to 2 g per kg if you are an elite power athlete. Adverse effects, including kidney strain and weakened bones, associated with consuming higher levels than this are unfounded if you are in good health, notes Campbell. However, including high amounts of whey protein in your diet may negatively affect other aspects of your health as a woman.

Drawbacks

Calcium and iron are two nutrients vital to optimal health in women. Whey protein, although rich in essential amino acids, lacks both these minerals as well as other nutrients. Therefore, selecting whey as your primary protein source may deny you the benefits of diverse nutrition found in whole foods, such as calcium in cottage cheese, iron in lean beef and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids in salmon. The more whey protein you substitute for protein-dense foods, the more the rest of your diet needs to make up for nutrients missing in whey.

Considerations

Although no set upper limit exists for a safe intake of whey protein for women, and short-term use is unlikely to cause negative effects, long-term safety studies on whey supplementation are lacking, states the University of Illinois McKinley Health Center. Adding whey protein to your diet may add unwanted calories, and, additionally, protein supplements carry the risk of heavy metal contamination. Therefore, you may want to limit your consumption of whey supplements.