“Unless you have specific underlying health issues, your body can effectively absorb most of the protein you can consume at any given meal,” explained Tamar Samuels.
Low-protein diets to manage underlying health issues do exist. They have to be carefully managed and preferably monitored by a healthcare professional, but genetic conditions that impact protein metabolism, like homocystinuria and phenylketonuria, might require low-protein diets. Additionally, kidney disease (that results in a buildup of urea in the bloodstream), liver issues, and even diabetic nephropathy are health conditions that could benefit from low-protein diets.
That being said, it is generally not recommended that healthy individuals go on low-protein diets. A lot of things can happen to you if you’re not getting enough protein — you might experience mood changes; hair, nail, and skin issues; fatigue; wounds that don’t heal fast enough; and a compromised immune system, to name a few. But sometimes, even without you noticing, you may not consume enough protein — maybe you were so busy at work that a fruit salad was your lunch today. What should you do when this happens?