by Anna Jones, Chief Editor
High protein, low carbohydrate diets all come with exciting promises of quick weight loss
and miracle results and pounds melting away.
And it is true that when you first start on a high protein diet, you will lose some water
weight right away, perhaps as much as a few pounds a week in the first couple of
weeks.
So why shouldn’t you rush out and buy a high protein low carb cookbook? Why should
you avoid these trendy, popular diets?
Because they don’t work long term, and because they can actually harm your health.
Yes, a high protein, low carb diet can be life-threatening. There are much safer - and
faster - ways to lose weight…but we’ll get to that in a minute.
The problem with low carb diets is that they require people to eat an unnaturally high
amount of protein every day, and generally high-fat protein as well.
The American Heart Association recommends getting 10 to 15 percent of your daily
calories from protein. High protein diets overload the body by cramming their menus
with meals that deliver 35 to 50 percent of the daily calorie intake as protein.
According to the John Hopkins Hospital, a leading medical research institution, high
protein low carb diets cause the body to excrete calcium, and are associated with
increased risk of heart disease and risk of kidney failure.
Here’s why:
The body normally relies on carbohydrates for energy. When you eat carbohydrates, the
body breaks the carbohydrates down into simple sugars and uses them for fuel.
When you don’t eat carbohydrates your body starts raiding its store of fat and breaking
it down into amino acids known as ketones. When too many ketones flood the body, the
kidneys have to work overtime to eliminate them and are therefore placed under a huge
strain. Ketosis is also associated with the formation of painful kidney stones.
According to a University of Chicago study done in 2002, participants who were on a
high protein low carb diet for a mere six weeks had a sharply elevated rate of calcium
excretion, which leads to an increased risk of osteoporosis (thinning bones). They also
had a high “acid load” in their blood streams, leading to an increased risk of kidney
stones, the study found.
And a study published by the American College of Nutrition found that the long term use
of the Atkins Diet would result in a 25 percent increase of blood cholesterol levels.
And - as if that’s not enough - the low carb diet tends to lead to constipation and other
health problems associated with low fiber diets, because high fiber cereals, fruits and
many vegetables are eliminated from the meal plans.
People who stay on low fiber diets long term are also at increased risk of diverticulosis,
a condition in which areas of the intestines weaken and bulge outward. This condition is
virtually unheard of in societies that have diets rich in fiber.
Yes, people do tend to lose some water weight right away on high protein low carb
diets. But they also get fatigued, grouchy, and crave carbs constantly. And as we’ve just
demonstrated, staying on those diets long term can be life threatening - AND as soon
as you start eating normally again you will gain that water weight right back!
But here’s the good news: it is absolutely not necessary to risk your health with a high
protein diet.
By the way, read this weight loss program consumer report to see why it’s my Top Pick.
Subscribe to this site