Studies show that meat-heavy, high-protein eating patterns are over the long run linked to osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, and renal disease, and pose particular dangers for people with diabetes.
Health Risks of High-Protein Diets Recent media reports have publicized the short-term weight loss that sometimes occurs with the use of very-high-protein weight-loss diets.
Some of these reports have distorted medical facts and have ignored the potential risks of such diets.
Past experience with the fen-phen drug combination and other weight-loss regimens has shown that some people may disregard even serious long-term health risks in hopes of short-term weight loss instead of adopting a healthy eating plan and weight management programme.
Health Risks Despite press accounts of seemingly dramatic weight loss, the effect of high-protein diets on body weight is similar to that of other weight-reduction diets.
Two recent studies suggest that the average weight loss with high-protein diets during the first six months of use is approximately 20 pounds.
This is not demonstrably greater than that which occurs with other weight-loss regimens or with low-fat, vegetarian diets and a healthy lifestyle.
High-protein, very-low-carbohydrate, weight-loss diets are designed to induce ketosis, an abnormal state that also occurs in uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and starvation.
Over the long run, ketosis can contribute to a variety of physical problems, including calcium losses, increased risk of osteoporosis, and an increased propensity to form kidney stones.
High-protein diets typically contain higher-than-recommended amounts of dietary cholesterol, fat, saturated fat, and protein, and very low levels of fibre and some other important dietary constituents.
The Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association states, "High-protein diets are not recommended because they restrict healthful foods that provide essential nutrients and do not provide the variety of foods needed to adequately meet nutritional needs.
Individuals who follow these diets are therefore at risk for compromised vitamin and mineral intake, as well as potential cardiac, renal, bone, and liver abnormalities overall.
" The message is simple, there is no "fast fix" and a healthy balanced lifestyle and weight management programme are the best way forward.
Best wishes, Garth Delikan The Lifestyle Guy - Personal Empowerment Coach