Is excess protein in children dangerous?

Protein is essential for muscle health, hormone production, skin system, musculoskeletal system in children. However, many experts recommend that consuming a lot of protein in the daily diet can lead to health problems, especially excess protein in children.

1. The amount of protein you need to provide each day

Protein is a major structural component of the body, helping to build muscles, produce hormones, and transport nutrients. This is especially important for child development. However, eating too much protein can lead to some serious health problems in children.
Eating a high protein diet can bring many side effects. Several studies have linked protein excess to kidney failure, prostate cancer, and diabetes.
In fact, the amount of protein a child needs each day depends on the age of the child. Children from 4 to 9 years old need about 19 grams of protein per day, while from 9 to 13 years old they need 34 grams and about 46-52 grams per day between the ages of 14 and 18 years old. Both an excess or a lack of protein can affect a child's development.

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2. Consequences of excess protein in children

Too much supplementation leads to excess protein in children that can cause health problems, including:
Overweight and obesity: Excess protein means excess calories provided to the body. For children who are inactive, excess energy accumulates in the form of fat, making them obese. Damage to organs: High protein levels make the kidneys work harder to filter waste products and can lead to kidney stones. In addition, excess protein also increases nitrogen levels, which affects the body's waste processing mechanism. Affects the immune system: Many protein powders contain substances that damage the child's immune system, especially causing a weakened immune system.

3. When to supplement protein for children?

Children need extra protein in the following cases:
Underweight: Underweight may occur because the body does not receive enough protein needed to participate in the process of building structure. Picky eaters: Picky eaters tend to dislike meat and protein-rich foods.

Vegetarian children: Children who do not eat meat in their diets need to provide an additional amount of protein from 10% to 15% to ensure enough protein as in a meat-based diet. Good plant-based proteins for children are peas, corn, spinach...

4. Nutrition for children

The most important thing for children is a balanced diet that provides all the nutrients that will help keep their brains and bodies healthy, especially between the ages of 4 and 13 when they are young. strongest growth.
Below is a table of necessary nutrition for children, you can refer to:

Protein is one of the important nutrients, plays a role in the formation of structure as well as participates in the processes of transporting substances or metabolism of the body. Protein is especially important for children, a period when the body needs raw materials for growth. However, eating too much protein can cause serious health problems. Therefore, parents only add protein to their children in cases where it is really necessary.
Any questions that need to be answered by a nutritionist at Vinmec International General Hospital, you can contact Vinmec Health System nationwide or register online HERE.
References: webmd.com, health.clevelandclinic.org, parents.com.

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