Does Protein Powder Have Side Effects?

Lots of people are health conscious now and strive to maximize their health via correct diet and exercise. One of the most used tools in the goal to become as healthy as possible are protein shakes, especially with bodybuilders and athletes. However many people wonder exactly what they are doing to their body by drinking many grams of highly processed protein every day.

Fortunately most people will not experience any side effects when consuming a typical amount of protein on a daily basis. By usual I mean around 1 or 2 shakes. This will result in around 50 to 70 grams of protein consumed from protein powder which your body can easily handle. Although there are athletes out there that ingest hundreds of grams of protein powder in protein shakes on a daily basis. Will these people experience any side effects?

Well to start we have to realize the possible side effects of protein. Most protein is made from egg, milk or soy sources with milk being the main ingredient found in whey protein. It just so happens that these three foods are some of the most allergenic. So you could probably have side effects from drinking protein powder on that basis alone.

Also for those that are eating large quantities of protein there is a definite risk of kidney stones. Many people that have experienced kidney stones describe it as being one of the most horrible things that they have ever been through so you really want to avoid getting them if possible. So if you eat excessive amounts of protein you will also want to ingest a lot of water as well. This will help flush out your kidneys to avoid the stones from forming.

Another possible protein powder side effect is an increase of the acidity of your blood. This happens because of the over consumption of protein and your body will have to reduce the acidity of your blood by increasing calcium levels. Where does this calcium come from? Why your bones of course. So this will increase your chances of breaking a bone and also forming kidney stones. Ouch.

So in summary protein powder is basically safe but as with anything else done in excess it can have side effects. To avoid any side effects just consume the manufacturers recommended serving size and you will lower your probability. Your body can only ingest 40 grams of protein at a time anyway so you will prevent wasting your protein as well.