In a world where information, whether right or wrong, substantiated or unsubstantiated, researched or made up for personal gain, is quite literally at the click of a button, it’s easier than ever to consume misinformation. Over the last 25 or so years, knowledge of and opinions on protein have changed fairly drastically. Much of the previously widespread misinformation on protein (ex: protein makes you bulky) has been disproven and redacted; however, one of those outdated, pesky myths is still going strong: “protein is bad for your kidneys.” And yes, I said MYTH because this statement is absolutely not true. Protein is not inherently bad for your kidneys — spread the word!!!

(Mom, if you’re reading this, please forgive me.)

Very few things annoy me more than when my mom, an internal medicine doctor and incredibly smart woman whom I love dearly, tells me to stop eating so much protein because it’s bad for my kidneys. I understand where she’s coming from, as many of her past patients likely suffered from poorly functioning kidneys, usually a result of pre-existing kidney disease. It’s not uncommon for physicians to recommend a low-protein diet for patients with poorly functioning kidneys, but the key part of all this is that it’s because their kidneys are already functioning poorly — the pre-existing kidney issues are very rarely a result of excessive protein intake.

The best way to explain this misconception is with an example that almost everyone can understand: jogging with a broken leg vs. jogging with a perfectly healthy leg. Everyone and their mother (I hope) can recognize that jogging with a broken leg is a bad idea. A doctor would tell you not to jog on a broken leg, but if your bones and muscles were perfectly healthy, a doctor would have no issue it. Does jogging inherently cause your legs to break? No. Similarly, does protein cause your kidneys to stop working? Also, no. Increased protein intake causes your kidneys to work a little bit harder, sure, just like jogging increases how much your legs and cardiorespiratory system have to work. See the parallel?

Clinical studies have indicated that an individual could eat up to 4.4g of protein per kilogram of body weight without any short-term health issues; however, that is a crazy amount of protein and I don’t know many people that would voluntarily consume that much.

So, now that you know how much protein you COULD consume, let’s talk about how much protein you actually NEED.

Nine times out of ten, when I start working with a new client, one of the first things we have to do is gradually increase their protein intake, as women are more susceptible to less than optimal protein consumption than men. Though protein deficiency isn’t too much of a concern for the average person eating a standard diet, a lack of deficiency doesn’t equal optimal intake — it just means that the average person is getting the bare minimum of protein to maintain bodily functions and prevent malnutrition.

Recommended daily intake (RDI) for protein depends on a few different factors, including age, weight, and activity level. For sedentary, otherwise healthy adults, about 0.5g of protein per pound of body weight is enough to cover basic daily requirements. For example, a 150lb person should consume a minimum of 75g of protein. However, because protein is involved in so many essential functions and processes, that recommendation can increase if you are:

• Training hard frequently or have a job that is more physically demanding

• Older in age (protein digestion tends to reduce with age so more is needed to meet daily requirements)

• Injured or recovering from surgery

• Trying to build or maintain muscle mass

In these instances, the RDI for protein increases to ~0.7 — 1.2g of protein per pound of body weight. So, using the example from before — if our 150lb individual falls into one of the above categories, he or she should be consuming anywhere from 105—165g of protein.

If you’re wanting to increase your daily protein intake but feel overwhelmed by the numbers and the math, instead aim for 1-2 fist-sized portions of protein at each meal. If you’re way under these recommendations, don’t expect to get there overnight. Start slow and gradually work your way up in a way that feels organic and manageable. There are lots of ways to sneak in extra protein in meals and snacks and is a topic my 1:1 clients learn from the start.

If you have questions or want the support from a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, reach out to me and let’s come up with a game plan to help you get to where you want to be!