Building Lifelong Athletes

BLA 147: Are High Protein Diets ACTUALLY Dangerous?

Building Lifelong Athletes

Show Notes

Will a high-protein diet wreck your kidneys and shorten your life? There's a ton of fear and misinformation online, but what does the science actually say? Today, I'm breaking down a fascinating paper that challenges these old ideas, arguing that for healthy people, the 'dangers' of protein are more myth than reality. Let's find out how much protein is actually safe and optimal for you.

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CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Intro 00:43 - Background 01:34 - Paper Details 02:18 - Core Thesis of the Paper 02:55 - Will Too Much Protein Hurt My Kidneys? 05:36 - Does a High Protein Diet Make Your Bones Weaker? 07:06 - Does A High Protein Diet Cause Diabetes? 08:31 - Does A High Protein Diet Reduce Your Lifespan? 09:43 - Is Eating Only Protein Dangerous (Rabbit Starvation)? 11:03 - How Much Protein Do You Really Need? 12:49 - Individualized Protein Needs 14:11 - Protein Source and Quality Matters 15:44 - How Do Protein Myths Spread? 17:21 - The Final Verdict

SELECTED REFERENCES: French, S. J., Kanter, M., Maki, K. C., Rust, B. M., & Allison, D. B. (2025). The harms of high protein intake: Conjectured, postulated, claimed, and presumed, but shown? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 122(1), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.05.002

Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only. The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition. The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate. Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

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