A myth busted. Thank you NY Times!

It's telling that the NY Times has Science section and a Health section. In a perfect world, health would be a science.

Yes that's true, but I know lots of people totally put off by science, they wouldn't read a science section, so if the health stories were in the science section they wouldn't get to see them. They are perfectly happy to read a health section, though.

Lee

So a high protein diet is only a bad idea if you don't have normal kidney function to start with, they say. The problem is: who typically knows that before they change their diet? Most people would have no idea if they are in that category or not.

In one of the links in the article, they talk about protein intakes of 1.26g/kg and 2.8g/kg where things happen. For a 100kg man, that's 126g and 280g of protein per day. Still not what I'd call high protein intake. Even those who eat only meat, they still don't reach that amount of protein. Bear in mind, 280g of protein is equivalent to about 1.5kg of lean meat. In that link, they say that under 2.8g/kg there's no effect on renal function.

As for the claim that a high protein intake would have an effect on renal function in persons already suffering from some renal problems, I disagree. I believe renal problems are a consequence of a high carb diet, and if we start eating more protein, that means more meat, we automatically eat less carbs which would actually lessen the load on the kidneys.

One of the kidneys' primary functions is to process protein for recycling. Why would doing its job be bad for that organ? It's like blaming high fat intake for liver failure, or high air intake for pulmonary failure, or high information intake for brain failure.

Ahhh, so that must be my problem

Lee

In 2000 after dealing with high triglycerides, high fasting glucose - bordering on diabetic, being diagnosed with GERD, and then being told one of my kidney test readings were borderline in one reading (don't remember which one) and having cataract surgery, I switched from low fat to low carb. A year later all my test results had improved: Normal glucose, low triglycerides, normal kidney function, lower blood pressure, but slightly increased total cholesterol.