Urine is made through the kidneys after filtering the blood. It is a (normally) clear liquid made up of body waste : drugs, overeating, alcohol, etc. According to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environmentpeople with diet too high in protein have too high nitrogen levels in the urine, to the point of polluting the environment.
The body releases excess protein as nitrogen in the urine
In the United States, wastewater is loaded with nitrogen compounds that can increase the proliferation of toxic algae, but also pollute the air and drinking water. After new research, scientists realized that the origin of this pollution came from, at 67%, human urine too rich in nitrogen.
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This high content is explained by the multiplication of high protein diets. Indeed, whether they come from meat, legumes or dietary supplements, the body breaks down excess into urea, a nitrogen-containing compoundwhich is then found in the urine.
According to experts, if the Americans manage to reduce their amount of protein to what they actually need physiologicallyprojected nitrogen release rates in 2055 would be 27% lower than today despite the increase in population.
Protein: what is the right amount to stay healthy?
The proteins are essential macronutrients for the body. They play astructural role (at muscle or skin level) but are also involved in many processes such as the immune response (antibody), the transport of oxygen in the body (hemoglobin), or the digestion (digestive enzymes)”, details ANSES (National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety).
In France, the recommendations for a healthy adult are 0.83 grams of protein per kilo per day. With this calculation, a 65 kg adult (female or male) should consume approximately 54 grams of protein daily. For elderly people who have higher needs, this recommendation is 1 g/kg/d. It’s even more for pregnant and breastfeeding women, with 1.2 g/kg/d. “It is difficult, given the lack of available data, to define an upper safe limit for protein intake”, stresses ANSES, which recommends not to exceed 2.2 grams per kilo per day for all.
Proteins can be of animal origin (meat, milk, eggs) or vegetable (cereals, legumes, seeds, oilseeds). .If animal proteins provide all the essential amino acids to the body, it is necessary to vary the vegetable sources to obtain all the necessary contributions. In this case, cereals are low in lysine while legumes lack sulfur amino acids.