Diets Heavy In Protein And Low In Carbs

Published: 2024-05-16
Views: 424
Author: Contributor
Published in: Health

Diets heavy in protein and low in carbohydrates have gained popularity as a way to promote weight loss without sacrificing or gaining muscle mass.

Protein replaces most of your daily carbohydrate intake in the high-protein, low-carb diet.

This eating pattern is primarily based on the allotments of the two diets that inspired it, albeit there is no specific macronutrient ratio.

For instance, low-carb diets usually limit the amount of carbohydrates consumed to less than 26% of daily calories, or less than 130 grams of carbohydrates for a 2,000-calorie diet. Extremely low-carb diets, on the other hand, drastically reduce this amount to less than 10% (2Trusted Source).

But high-protein diets, which provide at least 0.6 grams of protein per pound (1.3 grams per kg) of body weight, frequently contain far more protein than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source).

A 150-pound (68-kg) individual would require 204 grams of protein per day, or more, according to some who claim to have above 1.4 grams of protein per pound (3 grams per kg) of body weight (5Trusted Source).

Diets high in protein and low in carbs may have higher fat content to make up for the carb shortage.

For example, a 2,000-calorie version might have 26% carbohydrates, 40% fat, and 34% protein; for a 150-pound (68-kg) person, this would translate to a daily protein intake of 170 grams.

Types of High Protein, Low Carb Diets

Several popular commercial diets that are commonly thought of as high in protein and low in carbohydrates don't really fit into either category. Notably, many people regard the Zone Diet and Sugar Busters Diet as high protein, low carb.

However, these diets are moderate in carbs, as they typically provide about 40% of calories from carbs. While some people, such as bodybuilders and athletes, pay close attention to macronutrient ranges when following this diet, many others simply cut carbohydrates and replace them with high protein foods.

Additionally, some people follow less strict versions that contain 30-35% carbs, which are technically considered moderate in carbs.

Furthermore, a lot of well-known low-carb plans, such the Atkins and ketogenic diets, aren't really low-carb high-protein plans. Rather, they are only moderately high in protein and either high fat, low carb, or high fat, very low carb.

Actually, we are not aware of any marketed diets that follow this pattern.

To stay within your macronutrient ranges, you might need to track your calories, protein, carbs, and fat if you're interested in following a rigorous high-protein, low-carb diet.

Since this can be challenging, most people would rather loosely adhere to a low-carb, high-protein diet by substituting protein sources for high-carb items.

Advantages of low-carb, high-protein diets for health

As a result, high protein diets may offer many advantages, as may low carb eating patterns, which are frequently linked to weight loss. Although sedentary lifestyles require less protein, physically active people, athletes, and pregnant women require significantly more than the current RDA of 0.36 grams per pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight.

Combining the two diets could therefore have several benefits.
 

1. Loss of weight
 

The most satisfying macronutrient is protein, which also has the ability to reduce appetite and food intake—two factors that support weight loss.

Specifically, eating a lot of protein raises hormones associated with fullness and lowers those associated with appetite, such as ghrelin.

Studies have indicated that meals with 25–81% protein by calories boost feelings of fullness, suggesting that even moderate protein diets can lower appetite.

Diets high in protein also increase food's thermic impact, or the number of calories expended during digestion. This might be because diets high in protein take more oxygen to break down.

Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that consuming a high-protein, low-carb diet increases the pancreatic hormone glucagon release, which is known to promote feelings of fullness.

Additionally, these diets increase the formation of ketone bodies, especially beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB). In situations where there is less glucose available, your liver creates ketone bodies. According to studies, elevated BHB levels aid in appetite suppression.

2. Physical Make-Up
 

Muscle mass might naturally decline significantly when you lose weight. Nevertheless, since more muscle mass increases the amount of calories you burn when at rest, this loss may progressively slow down your metabolism.

Diets high in protein can both preserve and possibly even build muscle mass while a person loses weight.

It has been demonstrated that consuming more protein while reducing daily caloric intake by 500–750 calories preserves muscle mass while encouraging fat reduction. But when calorie restriction is more severe, like in the case of ill-planned, extremely low-calorie diets, this benefit is lost.

3. Additional Possible Health Advantages
 

Low-carb, high-protein diets may also help with the following:

• Blood Sugar Regulation: It has been demonstrated that consuming a high-protein, low-carb diet helps to enhance markers of blood sugar management over the short and long terms.
• Heart Disease Risk: Although some evidence links high protein diets to an increased risk of heart disease, this diet may help lower heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and lipid levels.
• Bone Health: Studies suggest that diets rich in protein can assist elderly persons avoid fractures and stop their bones from deteriorating.

Adverse Impacts on Health
 

High protein diets have been linked in certain studies to an increased risk of heart failure and heart disease.

Researchers found that among 2,441 males between the ages of 42 and 60, those who consumed the most total protein had a marginally significant 33% increased risk of heart failure compared to those who consumed the least. But the men who consumed the most protein also had higher rates of diabetes and obesity, two conditions that increase the risk of heart failure.

Studies have also connected diets high in protein, especially those high in animal protein, to a higher risk of several malignancies, such as colon cancer, as well as detrimental effects on liver, kidney, and bone health.

It should be mentioned that while those with kidney disease should steer clear of high-protein diets, people with normal kidney function are generally thought to be safe with them.

Extremely low carb diets have been linked to adverse outcomes, such as a possible rise in the risk of dying from any cause. However, additional high-quality, long-term research on the drawbacks of high-protein and low-carb diets is still required.