High Protein Fad Diets

High protein diets have been extremely popular and may be beneficial for short term weight loss. There is a wide variety of high protein diets available right now. It is important to consider the health risks associated with the diet and understand the principals upon which these diets are formed.

Principals of the Diet

• Diets high in protein work by limiting the amount of carbohydrates and increasing the amount of protein you consume. Foods limited with the diet are pasta, bread, sugar, fruits, and starchy vegetables. Foods encouraged with the diet are meat, poultry, eggs, fats, nuts and dairy products.

  When the body lacks carbohydrates as a fuel source, it is forced into burning fat and protein for energy. The process is called ketosis, the same process the body enters during starvation, and inducing this response is a potential health risk.

Types of High Protein Diets

• The most popular high protein diet is probably the Atkins diet, or the Atkins New Revolution Diet. Other diets based on the same principals include the Calories Don't Count Diet, the Ski Team Diet, the Protein Sparing Diet, the Drinking Man's Diet, and the Zone Diet. Many versions of high protein diets are available, and more come out all of the time. Though slight variations of the diet occur between the programs, such as vegetable based proteins, types of fat consumed, or being high in animal fats and proteins, the principals of the diets are largely identical.

Risks of the Diet

• The American Heart Association, the Surgeon General, and other large federal organizations, don't recommend high protein diets for weight loss. Reasoning for this is the risks associated with the diet, concerning heart disease, lack of vital nutrients, and increased amounts of uric acid in the body.

  If you are on a high protein diet and are getting the majority of your protein from vegetable sources, there is no added risk for heart disease; instead, your risk may actually be lowered. However, the other risks of high protein diets are across the board. Excess uric acid in the body may cause dizziness, dehydration, constipation, weakness, and more symptoms. If the condition is not corrected, kidney stones and gout may occur. Persons with diabetes or who are in the early stages of kidney disease are to avoid high protein diets as it can cause damage to the kidneys.

Recommendations

• If you chose to start a high protein diet, it is advisable to get most of your protein from vegetable sources, as it reduces the risk of heart disease. Also, limiting intake of red meat to eighteen ounces per week, and avoiding highly processed meats like hot dogs and most lunch meats, will decrease your chance of getting colon cancer due to the high protein diet.