Yes, you can eat too much protein. According to an online article by the Cleveland Clinic, if you follow protein driven diets or take protein supplements (shakes and powders) you might be overdoing it. Check the for the following signs provided by the Cleveland Clinic that might indicate your diet is too high in protein.
Some signs that you’re eating too much protein include:
- Bad breath: Eating too much protein, especially without a balanced amount of carbs, can cause ketosis, a metabolic state that happens when your body starts burning fat for energy. “Keto breath,” as it’s called, is one of the side effects.
- Dehydration: Your kidneys are responsible for filtering waste from your blood, including the byproducts of protein. They need water to make the process work smoothly, but when they’re stressed — like when you consume too much protein — you can end up dehydrated.
- Digestive problems: Eating too much protein, especially in the form of red meat, can bring on unwelcome tummy troubles like bloating, constipation and diarrhea.
- Extra calories: “High protein intake also means ingesting excess calories,” Patton says. Your body turns excess protein into fat, so it’s important to know how much you need in order to maintain your weight (or to lose weight, if that’s your goal).
- Foamy urine: This is one sign that you should head to the doctor ASAP. Foamy or bubbly pee is a sign of proteinuria, a high level of protein in your urine, which can be a sign of kidney damage.
- Kidney issues: High amounts of protein make your kidneys work harder, which can cause kidney damage or make existing kidney problems worse. (High-protein diets aren’t recommended for people who have kidney troubles.)
Eating too much protein in the form of red meat comes with its own set of risks, including heart attack, stroke and certain types of cancer.