National Nutrition Week 2022: These diets may help in weight loss but are not ideal as long-term diets
Protein acts like little building blocks for our bodies. Protein is present in every human cell. An amino acid chain makes up the basic building block of proteins. In order for your body to repair damaged cells and create new ones, you need protein in your diet. Children, teenagers, and expecting women all need protein for healthy growth and development.
The majority of people consume enough protein to avoid insufficiency, however, certain people might benefit from consuming significantly more protein. A high-protein diet has been shown in numerous studies to provide significant advantages for weight loss and metabolic health.
However, there are pros and cons to an extreme protein-rich diet. Keto, Atkins, and Dukan diets are some of the more popular high-protein diets. As protein is an essential component of our life, there are many benefits of having a protein-rich diet.
You lose water weight when you cut out carbohydrates and you lose weight quickly. The body starts burning more fat for fuel when there are no more carbs present. Making you feel less hungry, may induce you to enter a state of ketosis, which may facilitate weight loss. For some people, ketosis might result in transient headaches, irritability, nausea, poor breath, and sleeping issues.
Are they actually helpful?
There are usually hazards involved when consuming large amounts of any nutrient over an extended period of time, and protein is no exception. According to studies, excessive consumption may increase the risk of specific health concerns.
For generally healthy individuals, a high-protein diet may have certain advantages. However, it's critical to be aware of the health risks associated with having too much protein in your system, particularly if you follow an overly high-protein diet for a lengthy period of time.
Here are some of the cons of a high-protein diet:
1. Weight gain
Weight loss may be promoted by high-protein diets, although it might only be temporary. While an excess of amino acids is often eliminated, an excess of protein is typically retained as fat. Over time, this may result in weight gain, especially if you try to boost your protein consumption while consuming too many calories.
2. Constipation
Diets high in protein with a low carbohydrate intake are usually poor in fibre. Intake of fibre and water can be increased to help prevent constipation. Monitoring your bowel motions could be beneficial.
3. Dehydration
Through fluid and water consumption, your body eliminates extra nitrogen. Despite the fact that you might not feel particularly thirsty as a result, this can cause dehydration. By drinking more water, especially if you're active, you can reduce this risk or consequence. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day is always vital, regardless of how much protein you consume.
4. Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea can be caused by eating too much dairy or processed food and not getting enough fibre. This is especially true if you consume protein sources such as fried meat, fish, and poultry or have lactose intolerance. Replace it with heart-healthy proteins. Drink plenty of water, abstain from caffeine, limit your intake of fried foods and excess fat, and up your fibre intake to prevent diarrhoea.
5. Risk of heart disease
Heart disease may result from consuming a lot of red meat and full-fat dairy products as part of a diet high in protein. Higher intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol may be responsible for this. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a molecule produced in the gut that has been related to heart disease, can rise with prolonged red meat eating. The results also demonstrated that dietary red meat reduction or elimination reversed the effects.
6. Restrictive
Protein-rich diets such as keto, Atkins, and Dukan can be too restrictive. Restrictive diets can hinder our physical as well as mental health. Restrictive diets might affect our relationship with food and make it even more difficult to lose weight.
In conclusion, a restrictive protein-rich diet may not be a solution for weight loss or any other health issue. At the end of the day, the best way to lose weight is to maintain a calorie-deficit diet which still includes all the nutrients our bodies need to function properly.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.