According to Medical News Today, a high-protein diet may put you at risk for kidney disease.
Researchers from the University of Granada in Spain tested the effects of a high-protein diet on mice for 12 weeks or the equivalent of nine human years. Ten mice were put on a meal plan with a 45 percent protein level, while another 10 mice were fed a regular diet.
The results showed that although the mice that ate high-protein meals lost 10 percent of their total body weight, the weight of their kidneys “increased by 22 percent, the capillaries filtering blood to the kidneys increased in size by 13 percent, and the collagen around the capillaries by 32 percent.”
Urine samples also showed an 88 percent drop in citrate levels and a 15 percent increase in acidity. Low citrate levels and inflamed kidneys increase the risk of kidney stones, while high urine acidity has been known to be a symptom of kidney failure and kidney tubular acidosis.
The effects of a high-protein diet, however, can be countered by adding more fruits and vegetables in your meal plan. “Eating large amounts of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of kidney stones forming,” says study author Dr. Virginia A. Aparicio. “Probably due to their high potassium and magnesium content, which compensates for the acidity of the high-protein diet.”
(Photo by Jeffrey Tripp via Flickr Creative Commons)
