Many people are hesitant about following a Paleo Diet because of its high protein content. If you're hesitating following the Paleo Diet because you've heard of the side effects protein causes to the kidney, pay close attention here.
Following a Paleo Diet doesnt necessarily mean that your kidney will be affected and suffer from complications. A Paleo Diet is clearly one of the best diets for your overall health and well-being.
The problem with the Paleo Diet is that many people consider it to be a high-protein diet. They have a misconception that Paleo Diet equals high quality meat and vegetables that are extremely rich in protein, low in carb and fats. But this isnt the case.
Consistent consumption of low levels of proteins (less than 10%) could cause to various serious issues. But in truth, none of us are really protein starved. Complications mainly arise due to over consumption of protein.
A diet whose protein level is about 10 20% is ideal. But the problem is a lot of us in desperation to lose weight begin following low carb and low fat diets. These diets are extremely rich in protein (over 20%) which can get quite dangerous.
Isn’t Too Much Protein Bad For The Kidneys? Heres why
Protein is broken down by the body into energy and the amino acids are passed to the kidney.
The kidney removes nitrogen from the acids by a process called Deamination. Ammonia is released as a by-product of this process.
Ammonia is highly toxic in nature and our liver tries to release it as early as possible by converting it into a waste called urea.
Our body needs fat and carbohydrates to aid all of these processes including deamination and conversion of ammonia into urea.
The problem is when you follow a high-protein diet your body is Ammonia levels increase in your body. Your body isnt able to combat and get rid of ammonia fast because it lacks enough carbohydrates and fat.
This slows down the process and creates more strain on your kidneys and liver which can lead to various complications in the long-term.
But many people argue that a high-protein diet is the most effective because theyve experienced the benefits first-hand. While this may be true (a high-protein diet is indeed beneficial in the short-term), its not the best diet in the long-term.
Proteins tend to have a greater satiating effect when compared to fats and carbohydrates. This means you feel full faster; therefore you end up eating less
Some people experience immediate weight loss and a rapid improvement in energy levels after following a high-protein diet for a couple of weeks.
The main reason is because of the satiating effect protein has on your body and the presence of stored carbohydrates in your body in the form of fat.
These carbohydrates are effectively used by the body to aid protein synthesis and release of ammonia.
But eventually, your body gets used to it and the high-protein diet has no effect on you at all. In some cases, there are complications which in turn lead to people being forced to forgot their diet all together.
The best strategy would be to follow a diet thats equally rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The Paleo Diet is one such diet. Its not a diet thats highly rich in proteins.
