Quote Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch View Post
Djansen, while you have good points, I suppose I just speak from seeing the extreme side of things, where excess protein CAN cause problems. I intern at the heart hospital and we have to make sure we don't recommend too much protein because a majority of the patients have renal failure.

Now, I may have misworded something somewhere. Excess protein won't necessarily cause renal failure, but it will be harmful if there are risks. It can be hard on the kidneys and yes there is research out there but I don't think it is based on a certain amount rather than a cause and effect type study.


As far as protein recommendations go, the .8g/kg recommendation is for a healthy, moderately active individual, not sedentary.
When someone is sedentary, of course they will lose muscle mass. That's agiven. It has nothing to do with how much protein you eat at that rate, because if you don't use your muscles, they WILL waste. The protein can help decrease the rate of this, but it still happens. So I don't think the study you are referring to was necessarily aimed towards recommendations for a healthy, active lifestyle but more towards avoidance of muscle wasting in say the sedentary, elderly population, which is a great study because muscle wasting and bone loss in the elderly are big issues.
I myself consume a "high" protein diet (1g-1.2g per lb body-weight depending on CHO intake) and have been on one for about 6 years and in all my blood-work I have had no issues to speak of. I have reviewed a lot of literature and I have yet to see any negative effects on healthy individuals. I am not saying there are none because I am sure there are and I would really like to review them.

And in regards to the study on the elderly, that is true that if you don't use your muscles they will atrophy. But here is what I got from that study:
Though a loss of muscle mass and bone density is inevitable as you age my goal would to be delay for as long as I can OR reverse some of those effects by A: engaging in some form of resistance exercise and B: consuming adequate protein AND adequate calcium intake (calcium deficient people are a different story). Why would I shoot for the bare minimum and risk this? and i'm not saying an unreasonable amount, 1.2-1.4g/kg sounds reasonable. do you see where I am coming from?

And, great post on insulin and fructose.