Popular high-protein diets affect your body in many ways. Many high-protein animal foods contain high amounts of saturated fats, which can raise your blood cholesterol levels. High protein break-down products may cause your kidneys to work harder, while affecting your blood glucose levels. This raises concerns if you have chronic kidney disease or diabetes. Also, ketosis, a secondary effect of high-protein intake, can become life-threatening. As your body's nutritional balance is upset by high-protein intake, it becomes chemically unbalanced, as well.
High Protein Defined
Protein is needed for your body to grow and repair tissues. The National Institutes of Health recommends 10 percent to 35 percent of total calories as dietary protein. Children need to consume more protein per kilogram of body weight than adults because they grow tissues faster than adults. Americans consume twice as much protein than what is required, an amount that hasn't changed since 1909. High-protein diets contain much more protein than the 0.36 g per pound per day your body requires.
Cardiovascular Effects
Diets high in protein tend to be high in saturated fats. Some high-protein diets provide 20 percent to 25 percent of calories from saturated fat, while the American Diabetes Association recommends less than 10 percent of calories from this type of fat. According to the 2005 "American Journal of Epidemiology," coronary heart disease was statistically associated with red meats and dairy products. Also, as higher amounts of protein replace dietary fiber, fiber's innate ability to lower blood cholesterol levels becomes deficient. These high-protein intake factors likely increase your risk of heart disease.
Renal Effects
High-protein diets accelerate renal decline in people with mild renal insufficiency. It increases urinary output, thus putting additional strain on already compromised kidneys. If you have chronic renal disease, dietary protein is usually restricted. As of 2011, there was no proof that high protein intake causes kidney damage in healthy individuals. Protein-induced high urine output commonly leaves less time for dietary blood calcium to be absorbed into your body and causes you to lose the calcium in your urine. This results in your body using calcium from your bones for its needs, thus predisposing you to osteoporosis. Also, high calcium in urine may cause increased kidney stone formation.
Insulin Effects
Insulin is responsible for lowering your blood glucose. When your blood glucose levels rise, insulin stimulates uptake of excess glucose by your liver and muscle cells. The cells store the glucose for later energy needs. High-protein diets increase the amount of insulin circulating in your blood. This continuous effect promotes insulin resistance, which impairs your body's response to use the insulin it produces. Such an impaired response upsets your body's glucose equilibrium, especially in certain types of diabetics.
Ketosis
High-protein diets promote abnormal fat metabolism, which produces ketones. Ketosis is a term for high amounts of ketones in your blood, urine and other tissues. Excessive ketone accumulation is known as ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis causes acidic blood and very high levels of blood glucose. Untreated, ketosis causes dehydration and possible death. In high-protein diets, this diuretic effect often produces quick weight loss and nausea. Many dieters enjoy the immediate weight decrease and the nausea deters further eating, although the harmful effects of ketosis may outweigh the benefits.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Protein; February, 2011
- Feminist Women's Health Center; High-Protein Diets--Are You Losing More Than Weight?; Monique N. Gilbert
- Johns Hopkins Medicine; The Dangers of High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Diets for People With Diabetes
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Associations of Dietary Protein with Disease and Mortality in a Prospective Study of Postmenopausal Women; Linda E. Kelemen, et al.; 2005
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; The Impact of Protein Intake on Renal Function Decline in Women with Normal Renal Function or Mild Renal Insufficiency; Eric L. Knight, et al.; 2003
- "The American Journal of Cardiology"; Metabolic Effects of High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Diets; Margo A. Denke; July 2001
Member Comments