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This article is reproduced with permission from CalorieKing.com, home of America's largest food database. Search CalorieKing.com's food database for nutrition facts of your favorite foods - over 45,000 listings!
Most health experts agree that low carb and high-protein diets are unsuitable for most people, especially in the long term. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that "high-protein diets have no proven effectiveness in long-term weight reduction and pose potential health threats for those who adhere to them for more than a short time".The AHA further emphasizes that a high-protein/low carb diet can be especially risky for patients with diabetes because it can speed the progression of diabetic renal disease.
AHA and other expert studies also show that the average American already eats double the amount of protein than is recommended. People on high-protein diets put away even more than that, consuming up to 34% of their total calories from protein and up to 53% from fat, much of which is saturated fat (the "bad" fat) from meat and dairy products. In contrast, the AHA urges most adults to limit fat intake to no more than 30% of total daily calories, less than 10% of which should be saturated fat.
There is also no proof that these diets work for most people in the long run. In fact, evidence suggests that the rapid weight loss people experience is frequently followed by rapid weight gain.
What is proven about the diets are the negative long term health effects, which far outweigh any short term weight loss benefits.
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