What Illnesses Require A Low-carbohydrate & High-protein Diet?

A low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet is a popular but controversial method of losing weight. For some people, though, this diet is medically necessary. A low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may promote healing, reduce tumor growth and regulate blood-sugar levels. But before you use a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet to treat a medical condition, check with your doctor.

Epilepsy

Children with epilepsy often follow a ketogenic diet, which is extremely low in carbohydrates and high in fat, to mitigate severe seizures. The diet is very hard to follow, especially for adults who make their own food choices. A modified version of the well-known high-protein, low-carb Atkins plan, which permits just 15 g of carbohydrates per day and as much protein and fat as the dieter wants to eat, may be an alternative dietary treatment for epilepsy, Johns Hopkins Medicine reported in 2008. Half of 30 epileptic adult participants who followed the diet reported a reduction in symptoms, according to the Johns Hopkins study, published in "Epilepsia."

Cancer

A study published in 2011 in "Cancer Research" suggests that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet may slow the growth of cancerous tumors. Canadian researchers found that tumors in mice on a high-protein, low-carbohydrates diet grew more slowly than tumors in mice who followed a more traditional Western diet that was high in carbohydrates and low in protein.

Diabetes

A low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet may help control of blood sugar and insulin levels, according to a review in the April 2008 issue of "Nutrition and Metabolism." The American Dietetic Association endorses low-carbohydrate diets as one of many ways to help diabetics lose weight and manage the disease. Unless you're a vegan, a low-carbohydrate diet is almost automatically high in protein. High-protein plans can help you feel full, so you eat fewer calories overall. The review also notes that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate plan can be just as effective as a low-fat plan in helping you to lose weight.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is an endocrine disorder affecting menstruating women. The syndrome can cause obesity, abnormal hair growth and insulin resistance. A small study published in December 2005 in "Nutrition and Metabolism" found that women who followed a diet restricted to fewer than 20 g of carbs daily but were permitted to eat all the protein foods they chose experienced an improvement in symptoms after 24 weeks.

Considerations

For certain medical conditions, a low-carb, high-protein diet could be dangerous. If you have kidney or liver disease, following a high-protein diet can put additional stress on these already strained organs. High-protein diets are sometimes high in fat, so if your doctor has recommended that you also watch your fat intake, choose lean protein options, such as chicken breast without the skin, white fish and flank steak.