What is a potential risk of excessive protein intake?

Excessive protein intake can lead to kidney damage, particularly in individuals who may have pre-existing kidney conditions. The kidneys are responsible for filtering urea, a waste product generated from protein metabolism. When protein intake is significantly elevated, the kidneys must work harder to eliminate the increased levels of urea and other nitrogenous wastes from the bloodstream. Over time, this increased workload can lead to kidney stress or damage, especially in those whose kidney function is already compromised.

While the other options may have some association with high protein diets, they are not as directly linked to the immediate physiological consequences of excessive protein consumption as kidney damage. For example, vitamin deficiency generally arises from inadequate intake of a variety of nutrients rather than high protein intake. Similarly, while there may be considerations linking a high-protein diet to heart disease or high blood pressure through indirect mechanisms (like increased saturated fat intake from animal sources), these are less direct consequences compared to the potential for kidney damage.