Whey Protein Side Effects - Learn the facts before you supplement.

Worried about whey protein side effects?

One of the most common questions about protein supplements like whey protein is are there any side effects from taking it?

I have personally used whey protein as part of my exercise and diet routine for years and I have not seen any adverse side effects from using this product. But, I have also made sure to use protein supplements responsibly and never drink more protein than I need.

The great thing about whey protein, is that it is just that - protein. In general, it is not likely to cause serious side effects. Whey is taken naturally from milk and is probably one of the safest ways to introduce protein into your body.

Some side effects can occur, but they are very uncommon. I have taken whey protein supplements for quite some time now and have never experienced any of the following side effects. But I will list them so that you are aware of them.

Most Common Side Effects

The most common side effect is for those that are allergic to milk products or suffer from lactose intolerance. Whey protein isolates and hydrolyzed whey protein have virtually no lactose, but you may still have similar symptoms as you would eating dairy. There are other protein options of those who are lactose intolerant like Hemp Protein and Egg White Protein.

Other whey protein side effects are debated. One of those is over whether high protein consumption affects kidney function over the long term. There is no conclusive evidence that this is the case but I would like to state that some researchers feel this is a risk. As long as you are not consuming more than 1-1.5g of protein per pound of body weight, you should be all right.

I believe this pertains more to heavy body builders that eat 150g of whey protein a day on top of their regular diets. The recommendation for whey protein is 20-50g/day. If you are at all concerned about your protein comsumption and whey protein side effects, talk with your doctor. They will be able to tell you exactly what you need to do to maintain good protein blood levels in your system.

If you are looking for a good whey protein, I always recommend Optimum Nutrition 100% Classic Whey protein. It's a high quality protein powder. Many of the cheaper one's use lower quality proteins. I've tried a number of them and this one is by far the best. I like the chocolate better than the vanilla but I'm not much of a vanilla person.

Finding a good whey protein can be mostly trial and error, but I found that Optimum Nutrition tastes good and is a good value for the money. Feel free to test different proteins. Most proteins come in smaller containers that give you a chance to try the protein without shelling out a lot of money.

GNC also makes a great tasting protein powder. They have an amazing coffee flavor that I swore by. You can find a variety of protein powders on Amazon.com. Amazon has a great selection of products and often times you can find them cheaper than you would at your local retailer.