| Food and Nutrition Q&A: | |
by Chelsy Leslie, RD, from the August 2003 newsletter
Bacon and eggs for breakfast, cheeseburger without the bun for lunch, and a large steak for dinner. Unbelievably, this is a popular meal plan for some of today’s dieters who are enticed by weight loss plans that include the rich, high-protein foods we have come to love in America. Bookstores are filled with books claiming that excess carbohydrate is the major cause of obesity today. Even if you are not following a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, you probably know someone who shuns grains and embraces meat, cheese, and eggs in hopes of losing unwanted pounds.
Do low carb diets work? When people strictly follow a low-carbohydrate, high protein diet, they often lose weight. The quick initial weight loss is what draws so many people to these diets. There are several reasons weight loss occurs. First, when dietary carbohydrate is low, the body uses the storage form of carbohydrates, called glycogen, to maintain blood sugar levels. Glycogen includes a large number of water molecules, and when it is broken down to glucose (sugar), this water is lost from the body. Therefore, although the scale looks good, much of the initial loss is water, not fat. Another reason for weight loss is appetite suppression. A high-protein diet can curb your appetite, making it easier to restrict calories. Also, eliminating foods that you once ate in large amounts can produce a calorie deficit and contribute to weight loss.
Losing weight is common when following a high protein diet, but can it be maintained? Most people can’t follow this diet forever because it gets monotonous. We often crave foods that are restricted. As people drift away from the diet, variety is increased, appetite returns, glycogen stores are replenished and weight increases.
Even if people are able to remain on the diet for longer periods of time and lose a significant amount of weight, the safety of the diets has not been well-researched. High protein diets tend to be high in saturated fat, which has been shown to increase risk for heart disease. In addition, high amounts of protein can be detrimental to the kidneys, especially in people who have reduced kidney function. Furthermore, high amounts of dietary protein increase calcium loss, which can contribute to osteoporosis. Americans have low calcium intakes as it is – we don’t need to increase protein to make it worse.
Plenty of research shows that fruits, vegetables and whole grains can help protect against cancer and other diseases. Any diet that restricts these foods is missing important nutrients. Even if supplements are taken to provide missing vitamins and minerals, they will not provide the wide variety of disease-fighting phytochemicals found in plant foods.
Every diet has a least some truth to it – that’s part of what makes them so enticing! My advice? Take some of the healthier concepts of these popular diets and incorporate them into a plant-based diet. Include some protein and healthy fat with meals to help curb your appetite and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Choose whole grains high in fiber (instead of highly refined foods) because fiber can also provide satiety. And remember that the ultimate cause of weight loss is calorie deficit (more calories used and/or fewer calories consumed). Be more active by going for a long walk or take a bike ride with a friend as you debate the latest popular diets!
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