The Possible Whey Protein Side Effects
February 23, 2009
The by-product of cheese is called whey. At one point, whey protein was deemed useless for human consumption, so after converting the cow’s milk into cheese, the farmer would gather the whey curds and feed them to the hogs. Since then we have learned a few things, including that we can extract whey protein from the whey.
Whey protein is easy to digest, can strengthen the body’s immune system, and can help create muscle mass. Athletes that participate in sports that require copious amounts of muscle mass have diets that include large amounts of whey protein.
While there are several good reasons to eat whey protein, you should only do so if you fully understand the potential side affects.
Kidney Damage
Many people feel that eating large amounts of whey protein over an extended period of time will actually start to cause the kidneys to deteriorate. The speed of this deterioration is often increased when a person is also imbibing in sports enhancing drugs, such as steroids.
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Your kidneys aren’t your only organ that could potentially be damaged from to much whey protein; you could also suffer from a very serious condition called hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy happens when a person consumes more protein than their liver can process, causing toxins to build up. When the build up of toxins reaches a certain level they start to have an adverse affect on the brain’s ability to function properly.
Loss of Bone Mass
Research has been done that when a person eats large amounts of protein, including whey protein; they are more likely to develop osteoporosis than someone who has eaten moderate amounts of whey protein. If you do consume large amounts of whey protein you should make sure that you counteract the negative impact on your bones by drinking lots of milk and eating plenty of vegetables.
Anyone who is lactose intolerant should stay far away from whey protein. Ingesting whey protein will aggravate your allergies.
The best way to avoid any potential side affects from eating whey protein is to only consume a moderate amount, and to make sure you are eating a well balanced diet.
Comments
Got something to say? Join the conversation and leave a comment below.
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!