Myth: “High protein diets are bad for your health/kidneys”

No, they’re not. Nothing has been put to bed more in nutrition science than this issue.

There is a subset of the population who want to avoid high protein diets: those with Chronic Kidney Disease [CKD] or other renal condition.

Assuming you don’t have CKD or an underlying renal condition, then there is absolutely zero evidence to support a negative effect of higher protein diets on any parameter of health, from kidney to liver function. Diets in research have gone as high as 4g/kg/bodyweight: that would 320g per day for an average 80kg person! No one eats that much, perhaps outside of extreme professional bodybuilding.

There is certainly research showing that if you don’t eat enough fibre, a high protein diet (180g/d) could negatively impact your gut bacteria. But if you are eating a high protein diet with adequate fibre – and by ‘adequate’, we mean >30g/d, then these potential negative effects don’t occur.

This myth is a barrier because the total weight of evidence supports higher protein diets as the single most effective means to improve body composition and, more importantly, maintain weight loss.

The Truth: Higher protein diets are perfectly safe. End of. But eat your fibre.

As always, stay fit, and stay healthly!
– Team Bua Fit