Other Problems with High-Protein Intakes

Abstract

There are at least four other problems associated with diets high in protein that are worth noting here. The first of these concerns water consumption. As already alluded to, high-protein intakes step up the rate of urea synthesis and excretion, a process that may necessitate an increase in water intake (e.g., Bankir et al. 1996; Bankir and Kriz 1995; Denke 2001; Jackson 1999; but see Luft et al. 1983:605; and Martin et al. 2006 for a contrasting view). The impact of high-protein intakes on water requirements and renal function, like so many other issues in nutrition, still remains controversial (Lowery and Devia 2009). Experiments vary in the amount of protein ingested, the duration of the studies, the age and sex of the participants, and even the mix of proteins from animal versus vegetable sources (e.g., Bernstein et al. 2007:648). And, perhaps not surprisingly, there are differences between the conclusions drawn by medical and nutrition science researchers and the first-hand experience of explorers and ethnographers living among, and observing, hunters and gatherers.