Before you begin any sort of dietary changes, including the use of supplements, you should do a little research first to ensure each substance is safe. In this specific case, we are going to look at whey protein side effects. There are definitely some things you will want to know about whey before you begin supplementing it.
For starters, if you are lactose intolerant, then you will want to get the whey protein isolate. The isolate will contain less than 1% lactose, which is the sugar in milk. This is easily digested by lactose intolerant people. The standard whey protein powder will have about 5-6 % lactose. This level is usually not too big of a concern for people, but just keeps this in mind when you begin using the supplement.
Whey Protein Power
Another thing to remember is not to use too much protein. Your kidneys will have a very hard time with too much of any protein. You see, too much protein can do 2 things.
Firstly, it can turn the blood acidic. Your blood pH should be in the 7.0 range. When it becomes very acidic, it must correct itself, and do something to make it more basic. The one readily available basic element in your body (yes, we are talking a little chemistry here) is calcium. So, your bones will release the calcium into the blog, which will pick up the acidic byproducts of the protein, thus turning your blood back to a neutral level.
This sounds good, until you realize there will now be little calcium deposits floating in your blood that must be removed. These end up in the kidneys, and then you will be required to urinate them out. I am sure you have heard of kidney stones? This is one of the causes of them. So, be sure to limit the protein to some certain levels and ensure your body responds to them well.
The second thing it can do is put your body into a condition known as ketosis. I don't care what you have heard about ketosis before, but it is bad on your kidneys. Yes, your body will begin to burn fat for energy, but this is the result of most people starving themselves of carbohydrates.
Some people also just drink straight protein shakes. This also wrecks havoc on your body because it is not sure what to do any more with the carbs or with the fats. I always go on the principal that your diet should be consistent with what breast milk is. Since this comes naturally, I would assume this should be pretty good as a guideline. Some may not agree, but hey, it's my opinion.
In general, there are no side effects really related to whey protein. If you can follow some of the tips above, you should be able to make the addition of whey protein into your diet, and have positive results pretty fast.