For all the gym freaks, a protein shake is like an essential beverage in their regular diet. It is acceptable that protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps to build and repair muscles, organs, and bones in the body. Many people go for high protein diets as they are helpful with reducing fat, losing weight, increasing satiety, or a feeling of fullness and retaining muscle.
However, anything taken in excess can harm the body. If you are consuming a substantial amount of protein in a day, you need to research and understand the doses of protein that you are getting from your protein powder or protein shakes. Let us find out some risks of consuming too many protein shakes.
Short-term weight loss
High protein diets are believed to aid the process of weight loss in the body. But, this weight loss can be temporary happiness in your life. The weight loss caused by protein shakes is often short-term. If you are drinking too many protein shakes in a day, the excess protein will be stored as fat in the body and will lead to weight gain over time. Some protein shakes bring in loads of calories along with proteins. In such a case, it will definitely lead to long-term weight gain. If you replace the carbs in your diet with proteins, it will lead to unhealthy weight gain.
Can cause bad breath
If you restrict your carbs intake and replace it with protein shakes, it can lead to bad breath. But why does this happen? After high consumption of protein shakes, the body undergoes a metabolic state called ketosis. This process produces chemicals that give off an unpleasant fruity smell. Since this smell is naturally generated in the body, it won’t go away with brushing or flossing. Some of the ways that can be used to counter this effect are increased water intake, brushing more often, and trying chewing gum and mouth fresheners.
Can cause constipation
Consumption of too many protein shakes can cause constipation. Usually, too many protein shakes can restrict the intake of carbs and can lead to low fibers in the body. Well, this problem can be treated. Increasing your water intake and consumption of fiber can help prevent the problem of constipation. Also, tracking your bowel movements may be helpful.
Risk of dehydration
With protein shakes, your body flushes out excess nitrogen when it excretes fluid and water. This can lead to dehydration and might not show symptoms of thirst. With increased protein shakes, hydration levels can decrease in the body. One can minimize this risk by increasing the water intake. Even if dehydration is not occurring in the body, one should drink plenty of water a day to fulfill the hydration requirements of the body.
Consuming too many protein shakes can also cause problems like diarrhea. Diarrhea can be avoided by drinking plenty of water a day, avoiding caffeinated beverages, limiting the consumption of fried foods and fatty foods, and increasing the fiber intake in meals. Excessive consumption of protein shakes can also lead to loss of calcium. This can cause osteoporosis and poor bone health. Other problems that are the ill effects of having too much protein shake are intestinal discomfort and indigestion, irritability, and headache.
A protein shake can be high in added sugars and calories. This can lead to unhealthy weight gain and a spike in blood sugar levels. Hence, if you have too much protein shake, it can have too many ill effects on your body. A protein shake should be consumed in adequate quantities after studying its ingredients and should be taken as a supplement, not a substitute.