Should my 14 year old son be allowed to take protein powder

Posted by hhanoudi1977 @hhanoudi1977, Jul 29, 2023

I want to know if ghost or whey protein supplements will affect my athletic, 14 year old son in a negative way. I'm worried that taking one scoop (in a shake with normal ingredients- ex: bananas, oats, milk, and other ingredients) 5-7 times a week will damage his kidneys or any vital organs in any way. I'm also wondering if this could possibly stunt his growth and if it has any actual positive affect.

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Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor | @astaingegerdm | Jul 30, 2023

@hhanoudi1977
Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!
Many adolescent boys hope that taking protein powder will help their muscles grow strong.
Unless someone is high intensity training there is no need to add extra protein- people nowadays get a sufficient amount of protein in their diet.
It will not stunt the growth but taken in excess it most likely will turn into fat.
Here is a link to an article written by a pediatrician on this subject:
https://health.choc.org/protein-powders-and-teens-are-they-safe/