High-protein diets often promise fast weight loss. However, too much protein can be harmful, especially if you reduce your intake of other nutrients, such as carbohydrates, as you increase your intake of proteins. The best approach for weight loss and for overall good health is to eat a well-balanced diet.
Expert Insight
Eating too much protein and not enough carbohydrates can cause a number of unpleasant side effects, according to Dr. Lyn Steffen and Dr. Jennifer Nettleton of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. "Low carbohydrate diets for weight management are far from healthy, given their association with ketosis, constipation, diarrhea, halitosis, headache, and general fatigue, to name a few side effects," according to Drs. Steffen and Nettleton.
Types
A number of high-protein diets have emerged that call for high protein intake while minimizing carbohydrate intake, according to the American Heart Association. These diets--which include Atkins, Zone, Protein Power, Sugar Busters and Stillman--emphasize eating a lot of protein in order to reduce hunger and lose weight.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Consuming a diet high in proteins can cause you to miss out on other nutrients that your body needs for daily functioning, according to the American Heart Association. Grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy products contain vitamins and minerals that you need but cannot get from protein alone.
Effects
Meat proteins can be high in cholesterol and saturated fat, which can contribute to heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. A diet high in protein also can cause ketones to be released into the bloodstream. Ketones are associated with a state known as ketosis. While ketosis has positive effects of reducing hunger, it also can cause negative effects, including a condition known as ketoacidosis, according to Medpage Today. Ketoacidosis causes nausea, abdominal tenderness and shortness of breath. Ketoacidosis also causes the blood to become more acidic, which can cause the blood cells to shrink. This condition can result in impaired liver and kidney function, according to Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky.
Research
In a 2004 survey of 429 participants who followed a high-protein diet, 44 percent of dieters reported experiencing constipation and 40 percent reported symptoms including bad breath and loss of energy, according to the results published by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Nineteen percent reported kidney problems such as reduction in kidney function, kidney stones and kidney infections.
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