A Look into the Long-term Effects of
a High Protein Diet: Is there such thing as too much protein.
Kristen Lucero
Abstract
For
years the long-term effects of a high protein diet have been a controversial
debate amongst doctors, nutritionists, and fitness competitors. Whether or not high protein diets cause
significant damage to the health is the question that is explored in this
discussion. The hypothesis states that
the long-term use of high protein diets cause renal, cardiovascular, and
diabetic related problems. One diet
specifically was looked at, the Atkin’s diet to give the reader an idea of what
a high protein diet consists of.
A brief
background of protein was looked at along with both the positive and negative
impact. Fitness competitors stress the
importance of protein in the diet and how to use it. Two diseases diabetes and renal insufficiency
were compared with healthy people to see how high protein affects them. The hypothesis was not proven as of yet but
research shows that doctors are still trying to prove otherwise.
Introduction
With the growing obesity rate, high protein
diets have become popular for people trying to lose weight, as well as
athlete‘s and fitness competitors.
Although many are implementing the diet are there any health
disadvantages to long-term high protein use and how does protein contribute to
a healthy aspect. Along with other
supplements protein is the number one component in an athlete’s “healthy diet”
because it promotes muscle growth and repair.
The more you work out and put stress on your muscles the more protein
you need. Surrounded by athletes and
fitness competitors my whole life I see the importance of a high protein diet
but are there any consequences associated with it.
The
hypothesis and purpose of this research is that high protein diets followed
over a long period of time can cause significant health problems. The Atkin’s diet will be researched and used
as an example of what a high protein diet consists of. A look at the background of high protein
diets will be discussed along with who follows them. There are positive and negative sides to
everything, so both will be discussed.
The significance of this paper is to look at a long-time popular diet
and how it affects different body types and more specifically people suffering
from renal disease and diabetes
The issue with high protein diets is tied with over usage by
athletes and the long-term effects on the body and the healthy organs. This article will examine the health benefits
of protein in the diet. After a look at
the positive impacts is addressed the negative impact of protein in excess will
be examined. Two subjects were also
examined diabetes and renal impairment to compare excessive high protein use in
a healthy adult.
Although
high protein diets are often considered a modern fad, they have been around for
a number of years. In fact high protein
diets have been around for close to 50 years and used by many fitness gurus
such as athletes, boxers, runners, and fitness competitors. Lower carbohydrates and higher protein in the
diet have proven to help people keep a lean and cut physique which has been
proven by long-term use by such people.
In 1972, Dr. Robert Atkin’s developed a high protein diet proven to help
people lose weight within weeks. This
diet quickly became popular because of the fast and easy results. .
Background of Protein
For
about a half a century low-carbohydrate high-protein diets have been followed
by athlete’s and fitness competitors. (Johnston, 2004) The use of high protein helps to build muscle
and keep a lean physique. More recently,
low-carbohydrate high-protein diets have been used in weight loss
regimens. Protein is a macronutrient
used to increase satiety (the feeling of being satisfied after a meal) and
helps to increase energy used by the body.
When compared with water, protein is the most beneficial substance in
our bodies. (Burrell) If you take away
the water, the human body consists of about 75% protein. Every cell the body including enzymes and
hormones, consist of some amount of protein.
It is important to understand the role of protein within the body. 20 different amino acids link together to
make the protein used by the body.
Insulin the regulator of blood glucose also consists of protein, the
protein helps aide the insulin to stay regulated.
Foods
from plant and animals include protein.
High quality proteins are meat, legumes, whole grains fish, poultry,
eggs, and dairy products. These proteins
include a healthy balance of all the amino acids used to build protein. Low quality proteins should be used along
with high quality proteins but not substituted as your main source of
protein. If there is too much protein in
the diet, it is broken down and used by the body for energy or stored in fat
cells. On the other hand, too little
protein in the diet can result in the breakdown of muscle tissue.
The typical amount of daily protein
intake for the average person is 60-80g, which is about 1g/kg of ideal body
weight. The average intake of an athlete
or fitness competitor is 1g/lb of ideal body weight. For example, if a person weighs 160lbs they
will consume 160g of protein on a daily basis. (Herman, 2011) This seems like a lot, but those involved in
heavy weight lifting and intense cardio will use that much protein to restore
their muscles. Due to this for years
fitness competitors have stressed the importance of high protein diets that are
low in carbohydrates and fat.
Benefits of High
Protein Diet
Protein helps build muscle and keep the body
at an ideal weight but what else does it contribute too? Protein helps aid the immune system in
fighting off disease by making antibodies.
Along with increased immunity protein also helps maintain healthy hair
and nails. Furthermore, researchers also
suggest that women who are experiencing decreased renal function due to age
should increase their protein intake. By
increasing protein intake with age women are less likely to develop osteoporosis.
The Atkin’s Diet
A prime
example of a high protein diet regimen is the popular Atkin’s diet. Before his passing in 2003 Dr. Robert Atkin’s
spent years designing diets for those trying to fight obesity. He developed a low-carbohydrate, high-protein
diet that consisted of four phases, or the ever popular Atkin‘s Diet. The growing rate of obesity in the United
States has people looking for a fast and quick way to lose weight, but Dr.
Atkin’s theory suggested a different approach.
He designed a diet that would help people lose weight naturally and at a
healthy rate. Losing weight gradually
will help people keep the weight off easier than if they lost a bunch of weight
all at once, because Atkins isn’t a crash diet.
The first phase of the Atkin’s diet is as the “induction phase” where
participants lose the most weight. This
is typically followed for two weeks by limiting carbohydrates and increasing
fats and high quality proteins. In phase
two different foods are introduced back into your diet while continuing to lose
weight gradually. Phase three the weight
loss continues to slow down until the goal weight is reached. The ideal weight is reached in phase four and
practitioners have developed the knowledge on what foods to eat to maintain it. Meal plans and recipes are designed to help calculate
the total intake of net carbohydrates and protein.
The
Atkin’s diet helps gain some common knowledge of proteins and
carbohydrates. The amount of net
carbohydrates eaten within each day is 12-15 grams by eating low carb
vegetables. Diets low in carbohydrates
help to boost the metabolism and burn fat instead of carbohydrates for
energy. Complex carbohydrates take
longer to digest so the increase in blood glucose levels is gradual, which
helps maintain normal blood sugar levels. (Atkin’s 2011) Foods rich in protein, fat, and fiber produce
less insulin which will help to regulate blood glucose levels. Who would have known that high fat diets
contribute to weight loss? This was the
suggestion made by Dr. Atkin’s. Also
eating more and smaller meals throughout the day will help boost the
metabolism.
Meals and snacks are proportioned to meet your
physical and energy needs. Eating more
meals a day at smaller portions helps the body feel fuller longer and prevents
those afternoon crashes. These smaller
meals more times a day boost your metabolism because it trains your body to use
what you put into it rather than storing it as fat which comes with eating two
or three meals. In simpler terms if you
wait hours and hours to eat and then have a large meal your basically starving
your body and it will store everything you put into it turning it into
fat. Every meal consists of a protein,
fruit or vegetable, fat, and a complex carbohydrate.
Anytime
a new diet regimen is started its good to know if there are any risks
associated. There have been reported
health problems associated with following the Atkon’s diet. Recently the Atkin’s diet has become very
controversial on whether or not the development of certain diseases are a
result of the diet or simply coincidence.
Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physician’s committee for Responsible Medicine
conducted a survey that showed prior to starting the Atkin’s diet people were
given a clean bill of health and only developed health problems after being on
the diet for two years. One man had an
echocardiogram done with no history of heart disease prior to starting the
Atkin’s diet and was told he was in perfect health. Two years into the diet he started having
chest pain and an abnormal stress test showed a massive heart block. Other reports show that people also reported
other changes after following the high protein diet. Overall, this included: 42% loss of energy,
31% difficulty concentrating, 22% kidney problems, and 20% heart problems. (Barnard, 2007)
What
makes the Atkin’s diet different from other low-carbohydrate high-protein diets
such as the South Beach Diet and the Eat Clean Diet, is the daily intake of
fat. Dr. Atkin’s claims that high-fat
associated with high-protein helps individuals lose weight. But in fact, fat is stored in the arteries,
increases cholesterol and over a long period of time can lead to severe health
problems like cancer and heart disease.
The Atkin’s diet also uses a lot of red meat and pork which we also know
isn’t good all the time. Dr. Atkin’s
telsl people that something is healthy for you when really in the long run can
lead to horrible consequences. How many
different diet fads have people tried because it claims to produce amazing
results?
Size of an average Kidney Stone
Four
years ago I started suffering from chronic kidney stones. The first question the specialist asked me
was if I was following any kind of high protein diet like Atkin’s. Of course I have always watched what I eat
and I even tried a few diet fads myself not including the Atkin’s. I said no but asked him why. He said that since the Atkin’s diet grew in
popularity he has seen an increase in kidney stones. His hypothesis was because of the high
protein intake and the kidneys not being able to filter out so much
protein. .
In the
last year and a half I have made a change in lifestyle by working out and
following the Eat Clean Diet. Just like
the Atkin’s diet I eat 5-6 meals a day, incorporating protein, fruits or
vegetables, and complex carbs. Unlike
the Atkin’s , I stick to more lean meats and fish. Recently, I had to cut back on my protein
intake because in the last year I have gotten more kidney stones than I have in
all four years combined. Why, because of
to much protein. The reason found for my
development of kidney stones is because my kidneys don’t filter out all the
wastes normally. This puts me at higher
risk for the negative impacts of a high protein diet. But if my kidneys did function normal would I
still be at risk?
Use of Protein by
Athlete’s and Fitness Competitors
As discussed before the average
daily intake of protein is 60-80g or 1g/kg of ideal body weight. A fitness competitor’s diet consists of
almost double that amount. When competing
in fitness a goal weight is set and high protein is believed to help achieve
this goal. The largest amount of protein
is eaten at the first meal in the morning, within an hour of waking up. Each meal throughout the day which is
typically six is perfectly proportioned to meet their protein goals for the
day. Pre and post-workout drinks are
taken which contain an adequate amount of protein. The reason for this is even after a workout
your muscles are still building while at
rest which is where the protein plays its role.
Protein builds and restores muscles.
High-protein diets have been followed by fitness competitors for over
half a century.
Results
The
original hypothesis was that too much protein in the diet over a long period of
time will cause significant health problems.
In doing research this subject is very controversial and has been a big
debate for years. Anything in excess has
a negative impact on the body because the body is overloaded so it tries to
overcompensate for the excess. Because
certain organs are working so hard, they start to become damaged. Doctors are concerned with how high protein
can affect the cardiovascular system, those diagnosed with diabetes, and most
importantly those with decreased renal function.
The
kidneys act as a filter for waste products.
Tiny capillaries in the kidneys filter out wastes not used by the body
and help us eliminate them. (Manninen, 2005)
Once the kidneys filter wastes it is passed from the kidney through tiny
tubes no bigger than a strand of hair called the ureters. The ureters connect to the bladder where the
urine is then passed through the urethra. Because protein molecules are so big the
kidneys can only filter so much so any excess is sent to other parts of the
body like the blood or urine. When there
is too much protein trying to be filtered through the kidneys they work harder
to process it. This leads to decreased
renal function. When the kidneys can’t
filter waste it builds up causing it to calcify. A calcification, also known as a kidney stone
will drop down into the ureters (the
tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder) causing severe pain and difficulty
urinating. Protein also starts getting
dumped into the urine itself because there is too much, so it is finding places
to store itself. When it is present in
the urine this can cause an increase in blood pressure and is common in
pregnant women. A glomerular filtration
rate (GFR) is a simple blood test used in determining how well the kidneys are
filtering out wastes from the body. A
study done by students at Harvard University showed that women with an already
decreased GFR consuming a high protein diet, had greater decline in the GFR
than women with normal kidney function on a high protein diet. (Knight, 2007)
Diabetics
are already at high risk for decreased renal function so any form of high
protein diet is cautioned against. (ADA, 2011)
In fact diabetics are usually placed on a renal diet or more commonly
known as a low protein diet. The
increase in blood sugar causes the kidneys to overwork, causing them to stop
working properly. Because diabetics
already have a decreased GFR they are at higher risk of End Stage Renal disease
(ESRD), kidney transplantation, and dialysis because of a high protein diet.
(Reed, 2010) Insulin already contains protein from the pancreas because of the
higher blood glucose level in many diabetics more insulin is being pumped in
the body causing an increase in protein.
(ADA, 2011)
When a
high-protein diet is followed along with a high fat diet it leads to severe
cardiovascular issues. Many
high-protein, high-fat diets like the Atkin’s diet use large amounts of red
meat because of the fat content. Red
meat has always been stressed to eat in limited amounts because the fat stores
itself with in the arteries. When the
arteries become blocked the heart has to work harder to pump the blood which
will eventually cause a heart attack.
Literally the fat accumulates around the heart. We see what grease and fat look like now
imagine that around one of our organs!
The
most popular high-protein diets have been followed by fitness competitors for
years, studies show no health problems directly related to the consumption of
high protein diets. Along with the
consumption of protein competitors also take other supplements in high amounts
so it would be hard to tell which is causing a problem if any unless in depth
studies were performed. The only case in
which people showed signs of damage because of the protein were those who
already had health problems such as diabetes and decreased renal function. Other people who should a change in health
were those taking in protein along with increased amounts of fat in the
diet. (Manninen, 2010)
The
idea that high protein diets cause significant health damage is just a
theory. Doctors still continue to
question what long-term outcomes will be, but as of yet there is no solid
evidence that high protein diets cause damage in healthy adults. They will continue to do research, surveys,
and tests to try and prove their theories.
The original hypothesis states that long-term use of high protein diets
cause health related issues. By sticking
to the original hypothesis I was able to explore more on high-protein diets and
learn many things that I never knew before and I plan on continuing my
research.
Conclusion
Even
though the hypothesis was not proven, by doing this research a lot was
learned. And the question still remains
“does long-term use of high protein diets cause long-term health effects?” Normal healthy people didn’t seem to have a
problem following a high-protein diet for long periods of time. On the other hand when looking at the Atkin’s
diet showed closed arteries after following the diet for two years when he was
originally healthy. The only people who
showed to have significant damage due to the high protein consumption were
those already experiencing related health problems. The hypothesis was not proven but research
will continue to be looked at as more people whom have followed a high protein
diet for long periods of time are studied.
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