Research

Hormonal

Sulphur-containing amino acids in high-protein diets may raise blood pressure by causing a loss of nephron mass, posing a risk for subjects with obesity, metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes.

If you have high blood pressure, obesity, or type 2 diabetes, be cautious with very high protein intakes, especially from sources high in sulphur-containing amino acids (like some animal proteins). Monitor your blood pressure and consult a doctor, as high protein might negatively impact kidney function (nephron mass) in these specific groups.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Sulphur-containing amino acids cause a blood pressure–raising effect by loss of nephron mass. Subjects with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes are particularly susceptible groups.
Margriet S. Westerterp‐Plantenga et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2009

Why this rating

Stated as a risk/hypothesis in the review, likely based on specific mechanistic studies not fully detailed in the abstract.

Source

Dietary Protein, Weight Loss, and Weight Maintenance

Margriet S. Westerterp‐Plantenga et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2009

DOI 10.1146/annurev-nutr-080508-141056

narrative_reviewCited 571×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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