Your kidneys are quiet multitaskers – filtering, cleansing, balancing. When you overload them with protein, especially from meat, they go into overdrive. Research in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that excess protein speeds up the kidneys’ filtration rate, a condition called “hyperfiltration.” It’s like making your kidneys sprint a marathon every day.
A 2020 review confirmed that chronically high protein intake can cause microscopic damage, leading to glomerular injury and even protein leaking into urine – an early warning sign of stress. Harvard studies also link protein-heavy diets with a greater risk of kidney stones. For healthy people, moderate surpluses aren’t catastrophic, but for anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure, or borderline kidney issues, the load can be serious.