Are you thinking about going on a high-protein diet in order to shed off excess pounds? Before you do so, make sure that you inform your doctor about it first. This is most especially true if you have a known medical condition. But even if you are a completely healthy individual, it’s still not a good idea for you to change your diet radically without first consulting a primary health care provider.

Below you will come across some of the dangers of consuming more protein than necessary. Don’t forget to share this article on your different social media accounts afterwards most especially if you have family members and friends who are fond of trying one fad diet after the other.

Halitosis

This is a fancy medical term for bad breath. According to health authorities, the reason why someone who is consuming a lot of protein and not enough carbohydrates ends up with a reeking breath is because the body goes into what’s referred to as ketosis, in which stored fats are burned for energy. This causes one’s breath to smell like ammonia.

What’s so wrong about bad breath as a result of ketosis is it’s something that does not go away. You can brush your teeth every minute and still your breath will smell funky.

Constipation

Because foods that are high in protein are usually low in dietary fiber, it’s not unlikely for you to wind up constipated if you go on a high-protein diet. This means that your bowel movements are less than 3 times a week, and you have an extra hard time passing your stools each time you have the urge to do so as they are hard and dry.

It can be challenging to get rid of constipation if you are on a diet that’s high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The intake of laxatives all the time is not really a good idea as it can eventually make your constipation worse.

Diarrhea

Most especially if you have lactose intolerance, it’s possible for you to end up with diarrhea instead of constipation if you eat more protein than necessary. Since fried foods are very much welcome to the everyday life of someone who is on a high-protein diet, there’s a huge possibility for diarrhea to be encountered all the time.

Having diarrhea is a serious matter especially if it’s around for a number of days already. The individual can easily end up dehydrated, which is something that can come with a bunch of complications.

Kidney Damage

You are risking damaging your kidneys if you go on a high-protein diet for a really long time. According to health experts, the metabolism of protein results in the generation of a lot of waste products that end up in the bloodstream. This can cause the kidneys to work harder just to have your blood purified.

If you have kidney disease, the importance of staying away from a high-protein diet cannot be stressed enough. Your kidney functioning can deteriorate further if you keep on consuming more protein than you should.

Heart Disease

Because most foods that are high in protein are also high in bad cholesterol, it’s not unlikely for the levels of your blood cholesterol to go off the charts. You don’t want this to happen because it is regarded as a risk factor for heart disease, which is dubbed by doctors as the leading cause of deaths on the face of the planet.

The good news is there are certain high-protein foods that can help in lowering bad cholesterol and ultimately heart disease risk, and some examples of those are fish, nuts and seeds.

BEFORE YOU GO: According to nutrition experts, most healthy adults require 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight. Those who pump iron on most days of the week usually need 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight.