In our contemporary world, the growing awareness of healthy living, maintaining an ideal weight and getting fit has spurred the emergence of fad diets. Most of these diets are built around the widely scientifically researched low-carbs and a high-protein diet. While there is no denying the myriad of benefits this popular diet stands to offer there is less awareness being stressed on the equally vast health problems that may crop up when this prominent high-protein diet with low carbohydrates intake is followed for a long period.

In this piece, we are going to go over some of the disadvantages that a high-protein and low-carbohydrate diet has on the body.

Drawbacks of a High-protein diet

1. A high protein diet can cause damage to the kidneys or worsen the condition for people with kidney disease, for the reason that the body may face difficulty in eliminating all the waste products brought about with protein metabolism.

2. A low-carb high-protein diet involve the consumption of more proteins with very little to no carbohydrates at all. These causes insufficient fiber or getting inadequate amounts of vitamins and minerals found in carbohydrates; which can amount to various health problems namely, constipation, bad breath, and headaches.

3. Meat is a high quality of protein. However, it harbors some harmful contents, namely cholesterol, high total fat, and saturated fats which may increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

4. A high protein diet may increase calcium intake in the body and oxalate excretion which may lead to the growth of kidney stones.

5. Another disease that can be brought up by high protein intake is Gout (an arthritic joint inflammation brought about by high amounts of uric acid in the blood). Scientific research has revealed that excessive consumption of meats and fish increases the possibility of Gout.

How to curb these disadvantages

Most of the disadvantages of a high-protein intake are brought about by consumption of large amounts of red meat. Doctors recommend replacing meat with an alternative protein source preferably, a plant-based protein which has lower cholesterol content and saturated fats.

That being said, there are some people who can benefit from a preeminent protein intake because we all have different bodies with equally different nutritional needs. Here are some of the people that can benefit more from getting more of their calories from a high protein diet.

1. Body Builders

Protein is a high source of important amino acids which serve as building blocks of the body’s proteins. Unfortunately, our bodies only produce twelve non-essential amino acids while the nine essential amino acids needed to build body muscle are obtained from the proteins we consume.

2. People in middle age

There is an inevitable risk of sarcopenia (loss of lean muscle mass) that comes with aging. People above the age of 50 could benefit immensely from a high-quality protein in their diet to replenish this loss. This protein is to be obtained not from animal sources such as red meat or full-fat dairy products, but mostly from legumes.

3. People prone to weight gain

A high-protein diet is very effective for preserving muscle and losing fat faster. This is because protein takes longer to digest thus altering the hormones related to hunger and fullness.

Conclusion

Choosing a high protein diet is an impeccable choice and can improve one’s overall health and general well-being. However, for one to get the most out of the diet, choose the type of proteins that need to be consumed very wisely. Therefore, focus on wholesome foods plus healthy combinations of proteins and not so much on macronutrients.