Are we abusing Protein Supplements?

Have you or anyone in your family or friends circle been using high Protein, amino acid or whey supplements for building muscle mass or improving your health? A word of caution, please pause and consider whether it is safe for you and your loved ones?

For all the young men who idolize and wish to build six packs and muscular bodies like their favourite movie stars, protein supplements are touted as the magical solution, minus the risk of steroids to build their dream bodies. 

A lot of Gyms and pharmacies have been stocking and promoting these high protein supplements as the ultimate answer to all your muscle building goals!

However, recent research points towards evidence that indiscriminate use of these high protein supplements, unlessrecommended by a qualified doctor or nutritionist, can do more harm than good. 

There have been several unfortunate incidents of catastrophic health outcomes, even death of several young people who abused these high protein supplements without adequate medical advice.

Let’s take the sad case of 16-year-old Rohan Godhania, from London, who fell ill after drinking a protein shake on August 15, 2020. He died just three days later at West Middlesex Hospital after he suffered 'irreversible brain damage.

 

 

The boy's father had bought his son the drink to help him build muscle - as his son was 'quite skinny'. The protein shake triggered a rare genetic condition called ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, which the triggered breakdown of ammonia in Rohan's bloodstream and caused it to build to lethal levels. The onset of Rohan’s OTC was caused by the high protein load. The Officials in UK have recommended that a health warning be displayed on the labels of these protein supplements, so that people do not use them indiscriminately.

In another instance, a man in Karnataka lost his life toirreversible damage to the heart and liver from prolonged use of protein supplements. His death was attributed to excessive exercise combined with protein supplements that lead to a sudden increase in blood pressure and heart rate, resulting in sudden cardiac arrest. Even though the family spent 50 Lakhs, on his treatment, he could not be saved.

 

Another man from New South Wales, Australia, lost his life to caffeine overdose after unknowingly ingesting a dangerous amount of protein powder in the form of a shake. Caffeine is a permitted stimulant used in some whey protein powders to enhance athletic performance. Caffeine powder is also popular in fitness circles, often marketed as a dietary supplement and used as an additive to protein shakes and health drinks. Excessive usage of caffeine can be deadly. 

In recent times there have been a lot of unexplained deaths of seemingly healthy youngsters by sudden heart attacks. The misuse of protein supplements cannot be ruled out as a causein several of those cases.

Proteins are an essential Macronutrient, and we all need about1 g per kg of our body weight of proteins every day in our diet. So, a man of 70 Kgs ideal body weight would need about 70 grams of proteins in his diet every day.

Proteins play a vital role in maintaining health in our body. Besides being a part of the muscles and tissues, they are the main components of all our digestive enzymes, blood and haemoglobin, immunity building T cells and most hormones and neurotransmitters. Proteins also act as buffers and maintain the acid base balance in our bodies. The delicate water balance of our bodies is also maintained through proteins. When excessive amounts of protein supplements are consumed, they can cause dehydration in the body.

Our bodies can synthesize proteins using some of the amino acids that we can make ourselves. These are called the non-essential amino acids. However, there are some amino acids that can only be provided through food and we cannot synthesize them in our body. They are called essential amino acids. A balanced diet with adequate dals, legumes, sprouts, cereals, curds and nuts can provide us all the essential amino acids required for maintain a healthy body. 

If a particular food has all the essential amino acids in the right proportions, it is called a Complete protein food. Some foods that are deficient in particular essential amino acids, are referred to as Incomplete protein foods. If we eat a combination of foods that complement the deficient essential amino acids in each other, this combination is called complimentary food and can provide us a diet having complete proteins, i.e. having all the essential amino acids needed by our body to stay healthy.

Common complimentary foods are those that have already been in use in our traditional diet, such as dals and legumes with rice or chappati, curds with rice or poha, kadhi with rice or chappati, millet and dal khichdi, etc.

Protein supplements are not meant for healthy individuals that lead a moderately active lifestyle and take a healthy diet.

Protein supplements need to be used responsibly. Let us first try to understand who needs these high protein supplements? 

The first category is that of people suffering from a chronic wasting disease or a trauma like third degree burns or major surgery; that depletes their muscles and makes them weak, and their diet is not enough to replenish the lost proteins, then they need to take such supplements.

The second category is that of Sports persons who engage in high endurance and high stamina sports like marathon running, weight lifting, wresting, boxing, football etc; they suffer extensive wear and tear of their muscles and need the extra proteins to repair their tissues. That too, only in limited amounts, which can supplement their high protein diet.

The Food regulatory authority in India, FSSAI has laid down specific regulations for all these health supplements to display the correct levels of proteins, their source and proper usage instructions, including the risk of over dose on their labels to ensure they are not used irresponsibly by consumers. 

The problem arises when people do not understand the health risks involved with overuse of these supplements, especially when they are also taking a high protein diet alongside. Our kidneys get overworked and can get damaged when they are loaded with large quantities of by-products of protein breakdown to eliminate. It can have long term debilitating health effects.

So, before you get tempted to buy a box of protein supplement and start using it, please take the advice of a medical practitioner or a qualified dietician. You may by saving your life, a lot of your money, preventing hospitalization and actually get that aspirational body just with a balanced diet!