Protein is one of the most essential nutrients for the body. It is considered the building block of the human body which helps you lose weight, improve metabolism, promote hair-nail growth along with building muscles. Our body needs a moderate amount of protein every day, but do you know that excess protein in the body can also be harmful.

Protein helps in keeping you full for a long time so that you eat less and weight can be kept under control. This is also an essential element to keep the muscles strong, but are you also consuming more of it for more benefits?

Excess of protein can increase many types of problems, about which it is important to be alert.

Excessive consumption of protein is harmful
Health experts say protein foods are essential for everyone from children to the elderly. Dieticians say, men should consume at least 56 grams of protein and women should consume at least 46 grams of protein daily. Exceeding this amount can have many side-effects, which can hurt the health of the body.

Let us know with the help of which symptoms you can know whether you too are consuming too much of this nutrient.

There may be a problem of constipation
High-protein diets usually restrict the intake of fiber and carbs. Deficiency of these nutrients can cause constipation. If you are also taking excessive amounts of protein through diet and do not take care of hydration at this level, then it can increase the problem of constipation.

Kidney related problems
Consuming excess protein also starts harming your kidneys. When you consume large amounts of protein, the kidneys have to work harder to process it. Due to increased pressure on the kidneys, problems like frequent urination, fatigue, loss of appetite, and swelling in feet and ankles can occur. Due to kidney problems, there can also be a risk of accumulation of fluids due to which you may continue to feel more swelling in your legs.

There may be a problem with weight gain
To lose weight, it is advised to increase protein intake. However, when people start consuming it in large quantities, it can lead to rapid weight gain. Excess protein can start getting stored as fat in the body, which can increase your risk of obesity in a short time. If you are consuming this nutrient to lose weight, then it is important to keep its quantity in mind.

(PC: iSTOCK)