
Protein powders and liver health: Should you really be scooping daily?
To understand the answer, it is imperative for us to know the importance of protein in our diet and recommendations on how much we need to consume it.
Protein plays several vital roles in the body.
Protein is made up of amino acids and when you consume protein, your digestive system would break down protein into amino acids which are pivotal for making many important biomolecules in the body. Few important roles of these amino acids are:
Immune system- Antibodies needed to fight infection are made from amino acids
Growth- Body tends to utilize protein to grow
Hormones- several hormones like insulin and growth hormone are made from protein
Muscle health and bodily functions- Amino acids are important for muscle growth and function. Enzymes are molecules that mediate specialized chemical reactions in the body are also made up of protein.
Protein also helps in maintaining the acid base balance of the body
How much protein do we need?
Most individuals do not know the amount protein they need to consume to maintain all the above-mentioned functions. An average adult Indian typically needs around 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
This translates to approximately 56 to 70 grams of protein per day for a person weighing 70 kg. For an adult man, the recommendation is around 56 grams per day, while for an adult woman, it is about 46 grams.
If you are moderately active, aim for 1.3g per kilogram. The recommendation for those who perform intense physical activity is 1.6 grams per kilogram.
Now coming to the most important question. Are
protein powders
safe?
If someone is consuming protein as a supplement to meet the above-mentioned protein requirement of the body, it is generally considered safe. However, the most important concerns around protein powders are:
Some protein powders have little added sugar, and others have a lot of it (as much as 20 to 23 grams per scoop). This extra load of calories can lead to weight gain and a myriad of bad consequences.
Artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and flavouring agents reduce the health benefits of protein powders and can potentially lead to long term health consequences.
Many poorly made protein powders may contain traces of heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury), bisphenol-A, pesticides, or other contaminants which are deleterious to the body
Pre-existent health condition- Several individuals might have a pre-existing health ailment which might affect their
kidney health
. In a scenario like that, consumption of protein (especially excessive amounts) can lead to excessive strain on the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste products from the body, including products of protein metabolism like urea. Inappropriately high consumption of protein on the background of such known or un-known pre-existent kidney issue can lead to worsening kidney dysfunction. If adequate water intake is not maintained, excessive protein intake may lead to dehydration.
Certain protein supplements particularly those with whey or casein can lead to digestive issues in people with
lactose intolerance
. Plant-based protein, sourced from various plants like soy, rice, or peas, is suitable for vegans and those with lactose intolerance.
After understanding all these concerns, what do we experts recommend?
The most important way to consume protein is from your diet.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
No annual fees for life
UnionBank Credit Card
Apply Now
Undo
Whole food sources of protein, such as lentils, seeds, nuts, cottage cheese (paneer), soya, tofu, dairy products, chick peas, peanuts, broccoli, almonds, eggs, poultry, fish are various examples of food articles which provide not only protein but also other essential vitamins, minerals and fibre which are important of overall health.
Even if a person intends to consume a protein supplement, it is recommended that one understands their protein requirement (so that excessive consumption is avoided), underlying issues like lactose intolerance and any other health conditions which could potentially lead to underlying undiagnosed kidney dysfunction which could worsen on consuming high protein drinks.
Reading the labels is extremely pivotal to avoid supplements with any extra sugar, artificial sweeteners, flavouring agents, and other preservatives, thickening and anti-caking agents which can deplete the health benefits of protein.
Age related muscle loss called sarcopenia is a natural part of aging and after 30, one can begin to lose as much as 3 to 5 % per decade. Hence maintaining an active lifestyle, consumption of adequate weight-based protein with incorporation of resistance training is vital to prevent sarcopenia. Try to maintain protein intake from your diet, however if you feel a supplement is must, please consult your health care expert who can look into your protein requirement and underling health ailment (if any) and recommend you an apt protein supplement.
Dr. Sandeep Satsangi, Senior Consultant – Hepatologist & Liver Transplant Physician, Apollo Hospitals Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Deccan Herald
20 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
‘At least a year' before India-UK trade deal is operational
New Delhi: The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between India and the UK, signed in London on Thursday, will take at least a year to become operational, as it requires approval from the British Parliament, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said on Friday.'In the UK, it will take almost a year or so before it is ratified in Parliament,' Barthwal stated at a media said that the agreement must be approved by both houses of Parliament — the House of Commons and the House of Lords. There is also likely to be a select committee discussion on the issue. In India, the deal has already been approved by the Union Cabinet. No parliamentary approval is required here for free trade agreements to be to discussions with his British counterpart, Barthwal said the UK has expressed willingness to ratify the agreement in Parliament at the said that the British government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is keen on the early implementation of the to Barthwal, the Indian government would utilise the time for capacity building of exporters and other claimed that the deal would bring significant benefits to several labour-intensive sectors, including textiles, leather, footwear and gems & will India's auto, farm sectors benefit from UK trade deal?.'Four times concessions'On the auto sector, Barthwal said, 'India has secured market access to the tune of four times the concessions given to the UK on electric vehicles in the British market.'The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), which represents major vehicle and vehicular engine manufacturers in the country, welcomed the agreement, saying that it would open new trade opportunities across industries.'The commitments made by the Government of India on automobile sector tariffs strike a thoughtful balance — addressing consumer interests while supporting the broader goals of Indian industry,' said Shailesh Chandra, SIAM who is also the Managing Director of Tata Passenger Vehicles, added, 'We view this agreement as part of a wider strategic engagement and believe it opens new avenues for collaboration and opportunity with a key global partner.'Commerce Secretary Barthwal clarified that no concessions would be given to the UK in the import of electric, hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles in the first five years of the implementation of the deal.'Market access in EV is given mostly in the high price segment of vehicles priced above 80,000 British pounds,' he said.


Indian Express
20 minutes ago
- Indian Express
NCERT panel head defends ‘broad survey' approach in new social science textbooks
The new NCERT social science textbooks for classes 6 to 8 provide a 'broad survey' of Indian civilisation from prehistoric times to Independence, and an 'in-depth, detailed treatment of any period of India's history is not only impossible, but undesirable,' according to Michel Danino, chairperson of the NCERT's curricular area group for the new social science textbooks. 'Were it to be attempted, we would be falling back into the old pitfall of burdening students with loads of data that they simply cannot digest or relate to, and end up resenting,' Danino, a guest professor at IIT Gandhinagar, wrote in a note that responds to the recent criticism of the new social science books. Last week, NCERT released part 1 of the social science textbook for class 8. Pointing out that his note represents his personal opinion, Danino wrote that the rationale for these books providing only a broad survey is that 'a number of school students drop out at the end of class 8, and should be exposed to such an overview before leaving school.' However, he added that a 'survey' need not be superficial and 'it has been our attempt to touch upon key figures, events, concepts, developments etc., which we would like students to remember all their lives.' Referring to a new approach to the syllabus and textbooks in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, Danino wrote that this new foundation for school education has formulated new pedagogical approaches, new classroom transactions and a reduced syllabus. The new approach focuses on essential principles, concepts, events, and developments, 'moving away from data-heavy, supposedly 'comprehensive' textbooks that only promoted rote-learning,' he wrote. On recent references to 'omissions' from these textbooks, including that of the Paika rebellion of Odisha's Khurda region against British rule in the 19th century, Danino wrote that no chapters have been 'added' or 'omitted' since 'the whole basis is different.' The new social science textbooks cover history, geography, political science, and economics in one book, unlike in earlier years when there were different books for these themes. '…each new textbook has combined in a single volume what was earlier dealt with in four. This alone testifies to our concern for content reduction, as mandated by the NEP 2020,' Danino wrote. Listing 23 rebellions against British colonial rule, relevant to the period that the class 8 textbook's chapter covers, Danino pointed out that only six of these rebellions figure in part 1 of the textbook. 'Keeping the student in mind, we selected them as sufficiently representative, in our view, of the growing discontent among Indian populations against colonial rule. We must now ask our critics the following questions: who is to decide which of these uprisings and rebellions are major and which are minor? Should people of the states or clans mentioned in the 17 rebellions (and many more) not covered in this chapter start protesting that they are hurt by the 'omission' of those particular rebellions?' Danino wrote.


India Today
30 minutes ago
- India Today
PM Modi resets Maldives ties, Pak Army Chief meets China's Foreign Minister, more
In this episode of World Today, the focus is on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day state visit to the Maldives, the first hosted by President Mohamed Muizzu's government. This visit marks a significant turnaround in relations after the 'India Out' campaign. Several agreements were signed, including a Rs. 4850 crore line of credit to the Maldives and the launch of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement. President Muizzu congratulated the Indian Prime Minister, stating, "This remarkable milestone 4078 consecutive days in office is a testament to your unwavering commitment to public service." The programme also covers India signing a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom. Other major international developments include Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir's visit to Beijing to discuss the security of Chinese nationals, escalating conflict between Thailand and Cambodia over the Preah Vihear temple, and French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France will recognise the Palestinian state.