Too Much Protein: 5 Signs Your Body Is Telling You to Cut Back

Oil fell 4%. Ceasefire held. Micron surged 11%. Intel hit an all-time high. Records again.

The quick scan: Tuesday snapped back sharply from Monday's Iran-driven sell-off. The session's driver was simple: oil fell nearly 4% as US and Iranian military officials confirmed that Monday's missile launches didn't cross the threshold of ceasefire violation. With the energy overhang easing, chips ran hard – Micron surged 11%, Intel hit an all-time high on reports Apple may source chips from them, AMD beat after the bell. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ both closed at new all-time records. The Russell 2000 gained 1.41%, suggesting broad market participation rather than a narrow tech rally.

S&P 500: +0.81% to 7,259.22 – a new all-time record close; the index has now fully reversed Monday's loss and then some, sitting more than 14% above its war-period low
Dow Jones: +0.73% to 49,298.25 – gained 356.35 points; broad sector participation with only a handful of notable laggards; Palantir fell more than 7% despite Monday's earnings beat as the market rotated toward value
NASDAQ: +1.03% to 25,326.13 – a new all-time record; chip strength dominated; Intel's all-time high is a milestone for a stock that had been in structural decline for years; Shopify fell on disappointing Q1 results; PayPal dropped ~10% on weak Q2 guidance despite an earnings beat.

What's driving it: The two-day Iran pattern is now familiar: escalation rattles the session, military and diplomatic officials clarify the ceasefire threshold hasn't been crossed, oil retreats, equities rebound. Monday's 4.39% WTI surge reversed to a 3.9% decline on Tuesday. The semiconductor complex is doing its own work independently of geopolitics – Micron's SSD demand, Intel's potential Apple supply deal, and AMD's Q1 beat represent genuine fundamental momentum. Kevin Warsh's first Fed decision as chair is marked on calendars for June 17 – his direction and tone on rates will be the next significant monetary policy signal.

Bottom line: The Iran war's market pattern – sharp one-day drops on escalation news followed by equally sharp recoveries when the ceasefire holds – is now one of the most predictable rhythms on Wall Street. Today's article on Wesley Gray's "God's portfolio" makes exactly this point: the investors who held through Monday are back at records on Tuesday. The ones who sold are timing a re-entry.

Never Hungry, Can't Lose Weight, Bad Breath. It Might Be the Protein.

The scoop: There is no hotter nutrient in food culture right now than protein.

Walk through any supermarket and you'll find it on protein bars, protein yoghurt, protein bread, and – in a development that says everything about where we've arrived – protein chocolate. Every fitness influencer, every GP waiting room magazine, and every health-focused meal kit is pointing toward the same conclusion: eat more protein.

And for most people over 50, that message has genuine merit. Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass as we age, managing appetite, and supporting metabolic function. The science backing higher protein intake in older adults is solid.

But Australian dietitian and nutritionist Susie Burrell, writing in Body & Soul this year, makes a point that gets less airtime than the "eat more protein" message: like all nutrients, more is not always better. And your body, if you're paying attention, will tell you when you've crossed the line.

Here are the five signs she identifies.

Sign 1: You're never hungry.

This one surprises people because it sounds like a good outcome. Protein digests more slowly than carbohydrate, which is why it controls appetite effectively. But when protein is very high and carbohydrates very low, the appetite signal becomes distorted – and when carbohydrate intake falls too far, it can negatively affect metabolism and suppress the normal hunger cues that signal your body is working efficiently.

Burrell's useful benchmark: feeling hungry every three to four hours is a sign your metabolism is functioning well. If you're going significantly longer without any appetite – not because you've just eaten, but as a chronic pattern – it may be a signal that protein is too high and carbohydrates too low.

The fix isn't drastic. Slightly smaller protein portions and a modest increase in wholegrains, fruit or vegetables at each meal can restore the balance.

Sign 2: You're not losing weight – or you're gaining it.

High-protein diets are strongly associated with weight management in the research literature. But protein, like every macronutrient, is a source of calories. Consume more than your body needs, and the result is a calorie surplus – which will block fat loss regardless of where those calories are coming from.

There's a compounding factor: red meat and full-fat dairy – common protein sources – are also high in fat, making them more calorie-dense than their protein content alone suggests.

Burrell's guide for women: no more than 1.5–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day. In practice, that translates to roughly 100–120 grams of total protein daily – a figure many people on high-protein diets significantly exceed without realising it.

Sign 3: You're constipated.

High-protein diets tend to reduce the proportional intake of wholegrain breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables – the foods that deliver dietary fibre. Less fibre means slower transit through the digestive system, which means constipation.

If you've increased your protein intake recently and noticed a change in bowel habits, the two are almost certainly connected. The solution is straightforward: include fresh fruit and vegetables at every meal and add one or two serves of wholegrains each day alongside the protein, rather than instead of it.

Sign 4: You're urinating more than usual.

The kidneys are the organs that break down protein into its constituent amino acids for absorption. When protein intake is high, the kidneys work harder – and one of the observable results is increased urine production, more frequent urination, and dry mouth.

Burrell's caution is important here: it is not good for the kidneys to be exposed to very high protein levels – specifically, upwards of 2–3 grams per kilogram of body weight – for extended periods. This threshold is above what most people eat, but it's worth knowing for anyone who has significantly ramped up protein intake through supplements and shakes on top of food.

The practical response: if you're eating more protein, increase your total fluid intake deliberately. The kidneys need the additional water to manage the increased metabolic load.

Sign 5: Your breath isn't the best.

Bad breath has many causes, but a persistent, unpleasant taste in the mouth – particularly one accompanied by an unusual body odour – can indicate that high protein intake is affecting carbohydrate metabolism and leading to the production of ketones.

Ketones are produced when carbohydrate and calorie intake has been sufficiently reduced that the body begins using protein as an alternate fuel source. This state – ketosis – does indicate that fat is being metabolised, which is why some people deliberately pursue it. But it also produces the distinctive breath and body odour that is one of its less-advertised side effects.

If you're not deliberately pursuing ketosis and notice this pattern, it's likely carbohydrate intake has fallen too low.

What this means for the L-Plate audience.

The protein message for older adults is well-established: eat more, especially from your 50s onward, to offset the muscle mass decline called sarcopenia. Burrell isn't disagreeing. What she's flagging is the gap between "more than you currently eat" and "as much as possible."

The recommended range for older active adults is roughly 1.2–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. The upper end of that range serves most people well. Beyond it, the signs of excess start to appear – and for people with existing kidney conditions, the risks become more clinically significant.

Protein is not the enemy. Neither is carbohydrate. The framing that pitches them against each other – high protein, low carb as the obvious combination – is where many people get into trouble.

Actionable takeaways for L-Plate Retirees:

• Calculate your actual protein target, not a vague aspiration to "eat more." For older active adults, 1.2–1.6g per kilogram of body weight per day is the evidence-based range. For a 70kg person, that's 84–112g of protein daily – not unlimited. Knowing your number prevents the common pattern of eating significantly more than you need without realising it.

• Normal hunger is a positive signal, not an inconvenience. Feeling hungry every 3–4 hours means your metabolism is working efficiently. If you're rarely hungry, it's worth considering whether protein is suppressing appetite in a way that's also suppressing metabolic function. Some carbohydrate at each meal supports normal hunger cues and cellular energy.

• Protein doesn't exist in a nutritional vacuum. Red meat and dairy deliver protein alongside significant fat and calories. Tracking only protein grams while ignoring total calorie intake is a common reason high-protein diets stall weight management goals. The calories still count.

• Constipation after increasing protein is almost always a fibre issue. The solution is not to reduce protein but to add back the fibre-rich foods that often get displaced: fruit, vegetables, and wholegrains. Aim for fruit or vegetables at every meal and at least one serve of wholegrains daily.

• Increase your fluid intake alongside protein. The kidneys work harder to process protein. More protein requires more water to support kidney function and prevent the dehydration that shows up as darker urine, dry mouth, and increased urination. If you've increased protein, increase water proportionally.

• If you have kidney disease or reduced kidney function, take the upper limits seriously. The general population handles higher protein without significant risk. People with existing kidney conditions cannot – discuss any high-protein diet with your GP or a dietitian first.

Your Turn:
Most of us have absorbed the "eat more protein" message without doing the maths on what that actually means in grams per day for our specific body weight. Have you ever calculated your actual protein target – and were you surprised by what the number turned out to be?
Burrell's observation that feeling hungry every 3–4 hours is a sign of a well-functioning metabolism flips the usual framing around. Do you think of hunger as a good sign or a problem to be managed – and how does protein fit into that for you?
The five signs – no hunger, stalled weight loss, constipation, frequent urination, bad breath – are all things most people would notice if they were paying attention. Had you connected any of them to protein intake before reading this?

👉 Hit reply and share your thoughts – your answers could inspire fellow readers in future issues.

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