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High Protein Diets are good for you - or are they??

HIGH PROTEIN vs LOW CARBOHYDRATE
What's the difference.
A high protein diet is often recommended for athletes and body builders. to help efforts to build muscle and lose fat. It should not be confused with low-carb or no-carb diets, such as the Atkins, Zone, Protein Power, Sugar Busters and Stillman diets, which are not calorie-controlled and which often contain large amounts of saturated fat.

Most of these diets aren't balanced in terms of the essential nutrients our bodies need. Some are high protein and emphasize foods like meat, eggs and cheese, which are rich in protein and saturated fat. Some restrict important carbohydrates such as cereals, grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. If followed for a long time, they can result in potential health problems.

NOTE: Although the Atkins diet recommends foods high in protein, it is actually a LOW CARB DIET!!! (In fact The Atkins Diet could almost be classified as a Ketogenic Diet (suggested for the treatment of epilepsy) which is high in fat, adequate protein, low carbohydrates).
These low carb diets, like the Atkins Diet, are the ones we're concerned with in this article and after doing some research on the internet, I've noticed that even dieticians and those in the know are confused with high protein and low carb diets.

High protein diets:
These are the diets weightlifters, body builders and athletes use to maintain, repair and build muscle. It's the diet if you want ot increase muscle, gain weight/get big, or anyone just looking to build muscle such as most sports men and women. Without enough protein in the body, muscle mass will not increase. So typically these diets are higher in protein compared to a typical balanced diet.
Although they limit carbs, they also limit fat intake. So these dieters are eating lean meat such as chicken, turkey and fish with lots of vegetables and complex carbohydrates.

Low carb diets:
These diets restrict carbohydrate consumption primarily for weight loss. Foods high in digestible carbohydrates are limited or replaced with foods containing a higher percentage of proteins and fats. However, technically, the emphasis in low carb diets is on reducing/restricting carbohydrates.

"The basic concept behind the low-carb diet is that carbohydrates convert to sugars in the body. These sugars promotes insulin production, which in turn promotes the accumulation of fat. Eliminating these carbohydrates means eliminating fat." ~ taken from a low carb diet website ~ we won't mention which one!!!

BUT this is not quite true and here's the truth

Once carbohydrates are broken down to glucose, the glucose then enters the bloodstream and the level of blood-glucose (blood sugar) rises. This causes the pancreas to secrete insulin into the blood which acts like a key, opening the way for the glucose to enter the cells, where it will be transformed into energy your body needs to work properly throughout the day and night. Extra glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles, ready to be converted (by glucagon) back to glucose when your body needs energy.

When the liver and muscle glycogen stores are full, any extra glucose is converted into fat. This adds to fat stores, but to a lesser extent than fat released from fatty foods.

The liver glycogen helps to keep blood-sugar levels in the normal range. If blood sugar falls, glycogen is converted into glucose which enters the blood. If blood sugar rises (say) after a meal, insulin is again released from the pancreas which converts the glucose into glycogen. And so on.

NOTE: If glycogen levels are exhausted, glucagon can trigger the formation of glucose from some amino acids (protein) or glycerol (fats) - a process called gluconeogenesis. Read also Ketosis and Insulin synthesis

So . . . it is only when our liver and muscle glycogen stores are FULL that the body converts extra glucose to fat. If you're eating a healthy balanced diet with good carbs (not the white bread, pasteries and cakes type), then you shouldn't need to worry about excess glucose being converted to fat.

Therefore the statement behind low carb diets - "These sugars promotes insulin production, which in turn promotes the accumulation of fat. Eliminating these carbohydrates means eliminating fat." - is misleading, uneducated and untrue. Insulin does not promote the accumulation of fat. It might end up turning excess glucose into fat but it definately doesn't promote it. If you've got the fat it's generally from too much. Too much sugar, too much dietary fat and too many unhealthy foods and eliminating carbs does NOT mean eliminating fat. A healthy, BALANCED diet and exercise are a good place to start eliminating fat. [My say]

Briefly, here's how a low carb diet works:
A lower daily intake of carbohydrates causes the body to burn stored carbohydrates for energy. As this process of burning stored carbohydrates (glycogen) occurs, water is released, and weight loss follows. The body also begins to burn fat for energy (ketosis).
Such a diet is called a "ketogenic" diet because it causes an accumulation of ketones (by - products of fat oxidation) in the bloodstream. These ketones are removed by the kidneys.

The theory:
In a state of what has been called 'perpetual ketosis' or 'benign dietary ketosis', a person loses weight no matter how many calories are consumed from fat and protein.

Now that we better understand what a ketogenic diet is - the safety of such a diet comes back into question. Low-carb diets such as The Atkins Diet contain high amounts of saturated fat, animal protein, and cholesterol while lacking nutrients, fibre, and complex carbohydrates considered necessary for maintaining good health. Low-carb diet may hike the risk of diseases such as heart disease, cancer, renal disease, gout, osteoporosis, and others.

Ketones:
Ketones/ketone bodies are substances produced by the body as it breaks down fats for energy, a process called ketosis.
Normally the body obtains the energy it needs from sugars (carbohydrates). A person may begin to break down fats and produce ketones because of:

A. High blood sugar levels and insufficient amounts of insulin, preventing the body from using sugar for energy, causing it to break down fat instead.
B. Fasting or starvation.
C. Prolonged vomiting.
D. A diet that is low in sugars and starches (carbohydrates).

Ketones are normally released in the urine. If ketone levels are very high or if the person is dehydrated, ketones may begin to build up in the blood causing high blood acidity which in turn can cause ‘acidosis’ of the blood.
High blood levels of ketones may cause fruity-smelling breath, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, and fast, deep breathing. In severe cases, it may lead to coma and death.
In a pregnant woman, even a moderate amount of ketones in her blood may harm the foetus.
Large amounts of ketones in the urine may signal diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that is caused by very high blood sugar levels that can lead to coma and death. It is also called "diabetic acidosis", "ketosis", "ketoacidosis" or "diabetic coma".

Other side-effects:
Unpleasant (that's being polite) body odour and bad breath - if you eat only protein foods, then you start to smell like a carnivore - the bad smell is caused by the ketones that accumulate in the body.

Increased risk of high blood fat levels - high-protein foods are often also high in animal fats, particularly saturated fats and cholesterol, which raise blood fat levels and increase the risk of heart disease, and certain types of cancer. A high protein diet, that body builders or athletes may follow, is lean protein and low fat. OK, so this guy might be overdosing on the protein a bit!!!

Loss of muscle tissue - you will agree that this is not the object of weight-reduction diets and it is ironic that the more carbohydrate you cut out of the diet and the more protein you eat to slim, the lower your body protein stores will be, because you are burning protein foods as fuel so there's no protein left to build and repair muscles. Without carbs, this guy would never have been able to create muscles like these. He uses every ounce of protein to build things like that!!!

Risk of deficiency diseases - cutting out fruits and vegetables, which are our main source of antioxidant vitamins such as beta carotene, and vitamin C, protective bioflavonoids, and certain minerals, to eliminate carbohydrate from the diet, exposes you to the risk of developing a whole range of deficiency diseases; cutting out wholegrain cereals also exposes you to the risk of developing vitamin B and E deficiencies.

Constipation - carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables, grains and cereals, particularly the wholegrain varieties, are the main source of dietary fibre in the diet; eliminating these foods will inevitably cause severe constipation, which in the long-run can lead to diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and may even make you more susceptible to bowel cancer.

Proof that these diets are bad for you:
'One of the most telling indications that high-protein slimming diets are not good for you, is the fact that most of the diet books that advocate such diets, always warn that you should only use the diet for one, or a maximum of two weeks, at a time. The writers know that these diets are fraught with negative effects, so they cover themselves against law suits, etc, by issuing these warnings. If you use these diets and suffer adverse effects, the blame rests with you for using the diet for too long.' (taken from health24.com)

Protein Recommended Dietary/Daily Allowance (RDA)
Females - 40g
Males - 56g
Pregnant or lactating females - 56g

RELATED ARTICLES:
Antioxidants
Ketosis and Insulin synthesis: what is normal?
Minerals
Nutrition
Vitamins

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