Protein: The effect on your kidney when you overdose

My trainer to me to have a lot of protein. You will never improve if you don’t.

If you are a vegetarian, you might as well roll over and die, because no matter what you do, you will never fulfill your needs.

Have you been in a pickle like this, confused about what to do?

First, stop listening to your trainer or fitness influencer unless he or she is qualified in nutrition.

Knowing how to dead lift or make videos does not qualify you to advise on nutrition.

You eat carbohydrates, protein and fat for energy. Your body can store carbs and fat. Protein is not generally stored.

When you consume protein, your body breaks it down into amino acids. Ammonia is a byproduct of the process.

Your body then produces enzymes that convert the ammonia into urea. If you eat excess protein, you will make excess ammonia and urea.

Your kidneys have to work harder to eliminate the urea.

One of the side effects is an increase in the pressure in your kidneys. If you continue over long periods of time, you will damage your kidneys.

You will someday see a reduction in eGFR or the capacity of the kidney to filter and put blood back into your body, especially if your kidneys are already weak.

So what should you do?

First, don't listen to anyone blindly. Protein is a vital source of nutrition. When you are pregnant, you need more. As you get older you need more.

If you weight train you need more. If you are vegetarian, your need to be smarter about what you eat.

But none of these imply that you should be chugging protein from the moment you wake up and not stop chewing on your paneer until you fall asleep.

You should eat what your body needs. Ideally you should know what that means.

If we can educate ourselves on the capital city of every country, why not on how protein affects our body?

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain