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High Protein Diet

Thanks to the recent “Low Carbohydrates” craze sweeping America high protein diets such as the Atkins diet have become incredibly popular. The premise of this high protein diet is that by replacing those “bad” carbohydrates, which will eventually turn into fat, with high amounts of protein, instead people are less likely to pack on those pounds of fat and instead, with good exercise, can drastically increase their muscle mass and lower their body fat percentage. A good concept, but where did the high protein diet come from and how does it work?

The modern high protein diet movement is actually a resurgence of a similar high protein diet craze from the 70’s. Back then; the high protein diet emerged as a campaign against refined sugar. Shortly thereafter however, scientists began to discover that starchy carbohydrates are actually essential to preventing some kinds of heart disease and cancer and therefore are needed for a healthy body. Following these discovers, the high protein diet vanished…only to reemerge in its modern form and most notably the Atkins diet.

Modern high protein diets, including the Atkins diet, are based on the mistaken idea that carbohydrates make people fat. This is correct in the sense that eating too much of anything can make a person fat. However, it is a mistaken concept for two main reasons. For one, no one can get fat simply by eating carbohydrates; it is only a result of eating too much. Secondly, a balanced diet, one including carbohydrates, is essential to a healthy body and high protein diets like the Atkins diet fail to notify potential dieters of this fact.

After getting past the fact that research has proven how beneficial carbohydrates are to the body, there are other flaws in the high protein diet. Mainly, a high protein diet, and especially the Atkins diet which practically advertises itself on this, leads to too much consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol which will inevitably lead to heart disease and other health risks. Additionally, ketones are released into the bloodstream in massive amounts, leading to an increased risk of headaches, tiredness, nausea, dehydration, dizziness, constipation and bad breath.

Indeed, a high protein diet can initially seem like the best route to go because results will be almost immediate. By cutting carbohydrates out of one’s diet, they will see initial pounds fly off very quickly. However, losing a few pounds is never worth sacrificing a healthy body, and in order to have a healthy body carbohydrates are a necessary part of a balanced diet. High protein diets like the Atkins diet will be incredibly appealing to potential dieters who want to lose a few pounds quick but all that will end up happening in the long run is doing serious, permanent damage to organs in the body that are having to work without the needed carbohydrates. Keep this in mind when thinking of what diet is best.