The Potential Dangers of High-Protein Diets
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You’ve probably read about the new wave of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets. Or you may have heard a
friend brag about having lost weight after going on such a diet.
If you’re carrying a few extra pounds, the idea of losing weight by eating as much meat, cheese, etc., as you
want may sound very attractive.
Trap: While high-protein diets often do bring short-term weight loss, they don’t work over the long term.
Worse, they can be unsafe.
WHY WEIGHT LOSS OCCURS
How do high-protein diets bring about weight loss? There are two primary explanations...
Cutting out carbohydrates brings about a reduction in the number of calories consumed. People who go on
high-protein diets sharply reduce their consumption of carbohydrates. This generally means a dramatic
reduction in the variety of foods allowed in the diet.
It’s been shown again and again -- in animal and human studies -- that a less varied diet inevitably results in
reduced food consumption. Less food means fewer calories... and that means weight loss.
Eating lots of protein dehydrates the body, leading to the loss of “water weight.” Carbohydrates are the body’s
preferred source of energy. When they’re eliminated from the diet, the body turns to glycogen, a starch that’s
stored in the muscles and liver.
Each glycogen molecule is chemically bound to three water molecules. As your starch reserves are depleted,
you lose water -- and its weight. This is particularly true during the first few days of a high-protein diet.
SAFETY CONCERNS
Sooner or later, people find themselves unable to resist bread, pasta, bagels and other carbohydrate foods.
Once they resume eating a “normal” diet, the weight comes back.
The fact that most people have trouble sticking to a high-protein diet is a blessing.
Reason: Omelets, roast beef and other protein foods that these eating plans encourage are rich in fat.
Consequently, adherents of such diets tend to greatly exceed the fat “ceiling” (30% of calories)
recommended by the American Heart Association and other health groups.
Eating lots of meat and/or cheese is risky. These foods are rich in saturated fat -- the kind most closely linked
to heart attack and cancer.
More immediate danger: Extreme fatigue. When carbohydrates are cut to the bone, the body burns fat in such
a way that ketones are produced. In addition to fatigue, these chemicals can cause headache and nausea.
WHAT WORKS FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Proponents of high-protein diets are right about one thing -- high-carbohydrate diets are not good for losing
weight.
Fruits, vegetables, grains and other “complex” carbohydrates aren’t the problem. You can eat as much of
these foods as you want and still keep calories low.
But “simple” carbohydrates, such as refined sugar (even in low-fat or nonfat snacks), stimulate the synthesis
of insulin, which promotes fat storage.
The best diet for weight loss -- and for good health in general -- is one in which...
Carbohydrates (preferably in the form of fruits and vegetables) account for more than 50% of calories
consumed.
Fats account for less than 30% of calories.
Protein accounts for about 15% of calories.
When you start losing weight, your metabolism slows tremendously. That makes further weight loss very
difficult.
Good news: Exercise helps keep your metabolism close to its normal level, even as you lose weight.
BE REALISTIC
While rapid weight loss is exciting, slow, steady weight loss is safer and more effective.
Shed one pound per week, and you’ll be more likely to keep weight off. You will also be spared the loss of
muscle mass that often comes with reduction that is too rapid.
In most cases, losing more than 15% of your body weight is unrealistic.
Expect to lose more, and you’ll probably get demoralized... and tempted to abandon your weight-loss goals.
Do not obsessively watch your bathroom scale. Instead, focus on maintaining your diet and exercise
programs.
