The Truth About Low-Carbohydrate, High-Protein Diets

A basic premise behind the low-carb, high-protein diets such as the Atkin’s Diet, Zone Diet and South Beach Diet is that avoiding carbohydrates and increasing protein will promote fat burning and lead to weight loss.  Well-designed clinical studies have indicated that low-carb diets help overweight people shed kilos quickly.  Although low-carb dieters increased their fat intake, they enjoyed reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides (fat-carrying particles associated with heart disease) and increases in HDL (good) cholesterol.  Studies also suggested that removing carbohydrates from the diet increases fat oxidation.  However, these diets are also low in calories thus the weight loss regardless of the energy source.  Any rapid weight loss is largely due to the loss of water, glycogen and lean tissues.

Low-carb, high-protein diets also trigger ketosis.  Ketosis happens when the body burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.  Left unsupervised, ketosis can lead to dehydration, loss of appetite, abnormal heart rhythms and may possibly result in kidney and liver damage.  Furthermore, because the diet is low in grains and some fruits and vegetables, the diet is typically lacking in nutrients like folate, vitamin C, fiber and phytochemicals.

The good news is that you need not swear off carbohydrates to lose weight but to select the best carbohydrates.  For one, eat plants.  Fruits and vegetables have a modest effect on blood sugar and insulin.  They are also rich in fiber and other healthful nutrients.  Beans are excellent sources of protein, rich in fiber, vitamins and micronutrients.  Nuts such as almonds, peanuts and walnuts are great low-carb alternatives to crackers or chips made with refined flour.  Eating good fats – unsaturated fats found in olive, canola or corn oil, fatty fish with carbohydrates can curb increase in blood sugar.  Switch to whole grains.  They offer a carbohydrate package rich in fiber, healthy fats, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients.

Proponents of the low-carb, high-protein diets deserve credit for publicizing the pitfalls of refined carbohydrates but eating unlimited amounts of beef, butter, cheese rich in protein is not a prescription for good health.  A diet that includes fish, poultry, beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables, whole grains and vegetable oils can work for weight control and reduce risk of diseases.