Who should not take Beef protein

Beef protein is a food supplement, but that does not mean it suits everyone. There are conditions in which additional protein or the beef product itself may be undesirable or even dangerous. The editorial team divided the contraindications into absolute, relative, and situational and explained the logic of each of them.

Absolute and relative contraindications

In medicine, contraindications are divided into absolute, when a remedy cannot be used under any circumstances, and relative, when use is possible after a doctor's assessment of the benefits and risks. For a food protein, most restrictions are relative, but there are also situations when the product should be abandoned entirely.

The absolute ones include a confirmed allergy to the product's components, in particular alpha-gal syndrome, as well as an individual intolerance that has already manifested before. The relative ones include chronic kidney disease, severe liver diseases, gout, and some congenital disorders of amino acid metabolism.

A separate category is situations when a protein supplement is simply not needed or not advisable: childhood without medical indications, sufficient protein intake from food, certain dietary restrictions.

Note: in all cases this is not about an independent decision based on an article, but about a conversation with a doctor who knows your diagnosis and test results.

Kidney and liver diseases

In healthy people, a high-protein diet does not worsen kidney function, as confirmed by the meta-analysis of Devries and colleagues (2018). However, in chronic kidney disease the situation is different: damaged kidneys eliminate the products of protein metabolism less well, and excess protein can accelerate the progression of the disease.

The international KDIGO guidelines recommend that patients with chronic kidney disease and a reduced glomerular filtration rate avoid excessive protein intake, and in the late stages follow individually calculated restrictions. Therefore, such people can take protein supplements only in coordination with a nephrologist.

It is worth remembering that chronic kidney disease in the early stages is often asymptomatic. People with diabetes, arterial hypertension, or a burdened family history would do well, before switching to a high-protein diet, to check creatinine, calculate the glomerular filtration rate, and have a urine test for albumin.

In severe liver diseases, in particular cirrhosis, the neutralization of ammonia formed from amino acids is impaired. Modern approaches usually do not involve strict protein restriction, but its amount and sources are determined by a doctor. Adding protein shakes on your own in such a situation is not advisable.

Allergies and metabolic features

Alpha-gal syndrome is an IgE-mediated allergy to galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose, found in the meat of mammals and some products made from them. Commins and colleagues (2009) described the characteristic delayed reactions — hives, swelling, anaphylaxis several hours after eating red meat. For people with this diagnosis, beef products, including protein, are contraindicated without a special assessment by an allergist.

People with an allergy to cow's milk proteins sometimes also react to beef because of shared proteins, in particular bovine serum albumin. Therefore, switching from whey to beef protein for such people should happen only after discussion with an allergist.

Phenylketonuria is a hereditary disorder of phenylalanine metabolism, in which patients follow a strict diet with control of this amino acid. Any ordinary protein, including beef, contains phenylalanine, so without coordination with a doctor it is unacceptable.

Gout is another reason for caution. A large prospective study by Choi and colleagues (2004) showed a link between meat consumption and the risk of gout. To what extent this applies to purified hydrolysates is not reliably established, so patients with gout or hyperuricemia should discuss the supplement with a rheumatologist.

• Alpha-gal syndrome — avoid products made from mammalian meat.
• Allergy to milk proteins — a possible cross-reaction, testing is needed.
• Phenylketonuria and other disorders of amino acid metabolism — only under an individual diet.
• Gout and hyperuricemia — a decision together with a doctor.

Pregnancy, children, and older people

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the protein requirement increases, but it can usually be met with ordinary food. Sports supplements during this period are not automatically banned, but their composition (sweeteners, plant extracts, caffeine in some formulas) and quality must be checked. The decision should be made together with the doctor managing the pregnancy.

Children and adolescents who play sports usually do not need protein supplements: a balanced diet with meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and legumes covers their needs. A supplement for a child can be prescribed only by a pediatrician or sports doctor for specific indications.

For older people, on the contrary, additional protein is often useful for preventing loss of muscle mass. However, at this age kidney diseases, heart failure, and drug interactions occur more often, so before starting intake it is worth assessing one's health status.

People with fluid restrictions (for example, in heart failure) also need to take into account the volume of shakes, since they add fluid to the daily balance.

Ethical, religious, and other restrictions

Beef protein obviously is not suitable for vegetarians and vegans. For them there are plant proteins — pea, soy, rice, as well as their blends, which with the right selection provide a complete amino acid profile.

People who do not consume beef for religious or cultural reasons must also take into account that even a deeply purified hydrolysate remains a product from cattle. For those who follow halal or kosher dietary requirements, appropriate certification of production is important.

Professional athletes who undergo doping control are recommended to consume only products with independent certification for the absence of banned substances. This is not a contraindication in the medical sense, but an important restriction given the risk of accidental contamination.

Finally, if you already get enough protein from food, additional protein will provide no advantages. In that case, the best choice is simply not to spend money on it.

Editorial conclusions

An absolute contraindication to beef protein is an allergy to its components, above all alpha-gal syndrome. Most other restrictions are relative and require an individual assessment by a doctor.

The most important risk group is people with chronic kidney disease, including undiagnosed cases, so in the presence of risk factors it is worth first having basic tests done.

For pregnant women, children, people with gout, phenylketonuria, or liver diseases, the decision about a supplement should be made together with a doctor.

We also recommend reading our articles «Side effects of beef protein», «Beef protein: what it is and how it works», and «Myths about beef protein».

References

1. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2012 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease. Kidney Int Suppl. 2013;3(1):1–150.
2. Devries MC, Sithamparapillai A, Brimble KS, Banfield L, Morton RW, Phillips SM. Changes in kidney function do not differ between healthy adults consuming higher- compared with lower- or normal-protein diets: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr. 2018;148(11):1760–1775.
3. Commins SP, Satinover SM, Hosen J, et al. Delayed anaphylaxis, angioedema, or urticaria after consumption of red meat in patients with IgE antibodies specific for galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;123(2):426–433.
4. Choi HK, Atkinson K, Karlson EW, Willett W, Curhan G. Purine-rich foods, dairy and protein intake, and the risk of gout in men. N Engl J Med. 2004;350(11):1093–1103.
5. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20.
6. Maughan RJ, Burke LM, Dvorak J, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(7):439–455.