Adverse Effects Associated with Protein Intake above the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Adults

Table 1

Disorders and health risks due to high protein/high meat intake (above 0.8 g protein/kg body weight/day) in adults.

ID	Subjects	Findings	References
Bone and calcium homeostasis
1	11 healthy adults	Hypercalciuria	[8]
2	6 healthy adult males	(a) Hypercalciuria, (b) negative calcium balance	[9]
3	16 healthy adult females	(a) Hypercalciuria, (b) increased bone resorption	[10]
4	10 healthy adults	(a) Decreased estimated calcium balance, (b) increased risk for bone loss	[11]
5	85,900 adult females	Increased risk of forearm fracture	[12]
6	4 healthy adults and 4 patients with nephrolithiasis	(a) Hypercalciuria, (b) increased intestinal absorption of calcium	[13]
7	9 healthy adult males	Hypercalciuria	[14]
8	6 healthy adult males	Hypercalciuria	[15]
9	15 healthy adults	Hypercalciuria	[16]
10	6 healthy adult males	(a) Hypercalciuria, (b) the consumption of high calcium diets is unlikely to prevent the negative calcium balance and probable bone loss induced by the consumption of high protein diets	[17]
11	8 healthy adult males	Hypercalciuria	[18]
12	8 healthy adult males	Hypercalciuria	[19]
13	1035 adult females	A decrease in vegetable protein intake and an increase in animal protein intake increased bone loss and the risk of hip fracture	[20]
Renal function
14	8 healthy adults with a history of renal stones	(a) Hyperuricosuria, (b) lower urine pH; (c) Increased risk of forming crystals or stones in the urine	[21]
9	15 healthy adults	(a) Hyperuricosuria, (b) increased risk for uric acid stones	[16]
4	10 healthy adults	(a) Increased acid load to the kidney, (b) increased risk for stone formation	[11]
15	1624 adult females	Accelerated renal function decline in women with mild renal insufficiency	[22]
16	6 healthy adult males	Increased overall relative probability of forming stones	[23]
11	8 healthy adult males	(a) Hyperuricosuria, (b) decreased ability of urines to inhibit the agglomeration of calcium oxalate crystals	[18]
12	8 healthy adult males	(a) Ιncreased glomerular filtration rate, (b) decreased fractional renal tubular reabsorption of calcium and urinary sodium	[19]
Cancer risk
17	47,949 adult males	Elevated risk of colon cancer was associated with high intake of red meat	[24]
18	88,751 adult females	High intake of red meat increases the risk of colon cancer	[25]
19	18,139 adults	Meat intake positively associated with cancer risk (stomach, colon, rectal, pancreatic, bladder, breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers)	[26]
Liver function
20	2 healthy adult males on high protein supplements	(a) Elevations in transaminases, (b) hyperalbuminemia	[27]
Coronary blood flow
21	36 adults	Precipitated progression of coronary artery disease through increases in lipid deposition and inflammatory and coagulation pathways	[28]