Dr Arun L Naik, MCh (Neurosurgery), AIIMS, New Delhi, and chief neurosurgeon at Sagar Hospitals, Bengaluru, said unless one already has serious kidney disease, protein, even in supplement form, doesn't harm the kidneys. The real danger is that Indians are chronically protein-deficient, he added. "Stop blaming protein. Blame the sugar, the refined carbs, and the sedentary lifestyle," Naik stated.