From The American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11234
High-Protein Diets
AHA Recommendation
The American Heart Association doesn't recommend high-protein diets
for weight loss. Some of these diets restrict healthful foods that
provide essential nutrients and don't provide the variety of foods
needed to adequately meet nutritional needs. People who stay on these
diets very long may not get enough vitamins and minerals and face
other potential health risks.
Background
Many Americans follow popular diets, such as the Atkins, Zone, Protein
Power, Sugar Busters and Stillman diets. Most of these diets aren't
balanced in terms of the essential nutrients our bodies need. Some are
high protein and emphasize foods like meat, eggs and cheese, which are
rich in protein and saturated fat. Some restrict important
carbohydrates such as cereals, grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat
dairy products. If followed for a long time, they can result in
potential health problems. And while they may result in quick weight
loss, more research is needed on the effectiveness for long-term
weight loss.
These diets can cause a quick drop in weight because eliminating
carbohydrates causes a loss of body fluids. Lowering carbohydrate
intake also prevents the body from completely burning fat. In the
diets that are also high in protein, substances called ketones are
formed and released into the bloodstream, a condition called ketosis.
It makes dieting easier because it lowers appetite and may cause
nausea.
But these diets have other effects besides inducing quick weight loss.
Most Americans already eat more protein than their bodies need. And
eating too much protein can increase health risks. High-protein animal
foods are usually also high in saturated fat. Eating large amounts of
high-fat foods for a sustained period raises the risk of coronary
heart disease, diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer. People
who can't use excess protein effectively may be at higher risk of
kidney and liver disorders, and osteoporosis.
That's why the American Heart Association guidelines urge adults who
are trying to lose weight and keep it off to eat no more than 30
percent of total daily calories from fat and less than 10 percent from
saturated fat. On most high-protein diets, meeting these goals isn't
possible.
Some high-protein diets de-emphasize high-carbohydrate, high-fiber
plant foods. These foods help lower cholesterol when eaten as part of
a nutritionally balanced diet. Reducing consumption of these foods
usually means other, higher-fat foods are eaten instead. This raises
cholesterol levels even more and increases cardiovascular risk.
High-protein diets don't provide some essential vitamins, minerals,
fiber and other nutritional elements. A high-carbohydrate diet that
includes fruits, vegetables, nonfat dairy products and whole grains
also has been shown to reduce blood pressure. Thus, limiting these
foods may raise blood pressure by reducing the intake of calcium,
potassium and magnesium while simultaneously increasing sodium intake.
What's the best way to lose weight?
A healthy diet that includes a variety of foods and is rich in fresh
fruits and vegetables along with regular physical activity can help
most people manage and maintain weight loss for both cardiovascular
health and appearance. The American Heart Association urges people to
take a safe and proven route to losing and maintaining weight. By
paying attention to portion size and calories and following our
guidelines, you can enjoy healthy, nutritionally balanced weight loss
for a lifetime of good health.
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From: http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/06-23a-04.asp
Low Carb food with lack of HDL supplying nutrition can kill you slowly
Dr. Sanjeev Patil, Special Correspondent
June 23, 2004
HDL – the good cholesterol provides the “life” in human beings. HDL
acts as the garbage truck to clean the bad cholesterol from the human
body. The ratio of bad to good cholesterol is what keeps your body
functioning for long years. If you have a high HDL level (related to
heredity), you can eat some bad cholesterol and still you are not
abusing your body. If you avoid wheat, whole grain food, orange juice,
fruits and nuts, you are depriving yourself from HDL supplying
nutrients. That is almost killing oneself slowly.
Popular low-carbohydrate diets are leading Americans to poor health
and spawning a rip-off industry of "carb-friendly" products, health
experts and consumer advocates have said.
They announced a new group, called the Partnership for Essential
Nutrition, to help educate Americans about the need for healthy
carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains.
"When unproven science becomes a sales pitch, some people get rich and
the rest of us get ripped off," Jeffrey Prince of the American
Institute for Cancer Research told a news conference.
"Eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, which are all
predominantly carbohydrate, is linked to a reduced risk of cancer,
heart disease, stroke, diabetes and a range of other chronic
diseases."
Prince said low-carb diets that advocate piling on the animal protein
and fat are "increasing the risk of developing cancer, heart disease,
stroke, type-2 diabetes and other chronic diseases".
The new group includes such organizations as the Alliance for Aging
Research, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the AICR and
the American Obesity Association.
Its Web site at http://www.essentialnutrition.org/ is especially
critical of programs, such as the Atkins diet, that advocate throwing
the body into a condition called ketosis. During this phase the body
sheds water as it tries to get rid of excess protein and fat-breakdown
products.
"Losing weight on these extreme low-carb diets can lead to such
serious health problems as kidney stress, liver disorders and gout,"
the group advises.
Atkins rebuttal
Dr. Stuart Trager, Medical Director for Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.,
said the Atkins diet is healthy.
"In fact, the Atkins Nutritional Approach includes spinach, eggplant,
broccoli, asparagus and leafy greens, in addition to other high-fiber
vegetables and fruits," Trager said in a statement. "Even during
induction, Atkins requires five servings of vegetables and/or fruits a
day."
The new group published a survey of 1,017 adults, done by Opinion
Research Corporation, that showed 19 percent of dieters are trying to
cut carbs.
The survey found that 47 percent them believed that low-carb diets can
help them lose weight without cutting calories.
"They are confused. They lack an understanding of the basic science,"
Barbara Moore, president of Shape Up America, told the news
conference.
She said a "trickle-down effect" meant other Americans were now eating
fewer fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
When unproven science becomes a sales pitch, some people get rich and
the rest of us get ripped off. -- Jeffrey Prince, American Institute
for Cancer Research
The U.S. government, American Heart Association, American Cancer
Society, National Cancer Institute and American Diabetes Association
all recommend getting at least five servings a day of fruits and
vegetables. They also recommend eating plenty of whole grains.
The National Consumers League said it found dieters were spending an
average of $85 a month on so-called low-carbohydrate products,
although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not evaluate or
regulate low-carb claims.
"Consumers are paying a premium price for a carb-friendly lifestyle,"
said Alison Rein of the National Consumers League.
She called for the FDA, U.S, Department of Agriculture and other
agencies to issue immediate guidelines on such claims.
Studies show that a low-carbohydrate approach can cause people to lose
weight more quickly than a low-fat diet for the first six months, but
the low-fat approach catches up after a year.