Is High Protein Diet Good or Bad for You?

Before you start any diet, you should first understand the amount of protein, carbohydrates and vitamins that are ideal for your body. The amount of protein that is healthy for you depends directly on the amount of calories you should be consuming. Now, the amount of calories required by your body is directly proportional to the amount of activities your body does. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010, the amount of protein that should be consumed should ideally range from 10% to 35% of your total calorie intake per day. For example, if your total calorie intake per day is 2000 calorie, almost 200 to 700 calorie should be consumed as protein. Ideally, if all the meals you consume have some form of protein, you are within the healthy range of protein intake as it has been recommended. According to the Dietary Reference Index, the healthy amount of protein for a man over the age of 18 is 56 grams and that for a woman over the age of 18, is 46 grams.

Most of us are consuming, on a daily basis, more than the amount of protein that is considered healthy. If you have a glass of milk along with a cheese burger, you have already gone over the ideal recommend value of protein. These guidelines are, however, for people who have get less than average level of activity on a daily basis. If you are very active, into sports, pregnant or in the postnatal period, your body will be require more protein than normal.

What is a high protein diet? Mostly people who exercise frequently and follow a strict workout routine, generally bank on what is now called a high protein diet. Generally, every statement made on dietary facts is highly debated and there hardly lies a common ground where all health experts rely on and agree upon. Protein, however, has been considered by all to be a very essential on the growth and development of muscles, and this fact has been accepted by all dietary experts. It has also been proven, that even if you are not too much into exercising but still want to lose weight, you must increase your protein intake.

Hence, the role of protein is not just limited to help fueling muscle power but also to help in weight loss. Among the various forms of protein diet the most popular is the paleo diet. In any form of a protein enriched diet, the main goal is to minimize carbohydrate intake while maximizing protein intake. Almost all the calories that are required by the body is gained through protein. The carbohydrate intake is kept at a bare minimum. Carbohydrates are found in abundance in rice, bread and other such products. Protein on the other hand comes in abundance in all meats and also in eggs. If you are looking for vegetarian options, food products like soybean and spinach are also rich sources of protein. Other vegetarian options for protein enriched food are the various kinds of cheese.

How High Protein Diet is Good for You?

The perks of having a protein rich diet:

Weight Loss: It has been considered by many dietary experts that having a protein enriched diet while maintaining or cutting down on the total calorie Intake actually makes it possible to lose weight faster and in a more healthy way. The best thing about having protein in our diet does not make us feel hungry. On the other hand, consumption of protein makes us feel full while at the same time aids in the loss of weight. Since the problem of obesity has been a prime focus of problem in the country, extensive researches has been conducted in this field. Since the problem is so grave, many dieticians have studied the effects, both positive and negative on a protein enriched diet, and have also found out that, this in fact is a viable option in case of fastening the rate of weight loss. Because of the fact that protein makes you feel fuller than other food, it had also been found in a study that people who modified their diet in way that they consumed around 15% protein in about 30% of their total intake of feed, ate less by choice because proteins inherently make you feel really satisfied.

Easy Digestion: The weight loss benefit if protein can be also attributed to the fact that, it takes lesser energy to digest protein than it does to digest carbohydrates or fats. This leads to a faster mechanism, which in turn leads to successful weight loss. Adding to this, proteins also have an additional effect on the long term effect that a protein enriched diet has. Because of the mechanism of digestion that proteins have, they make it possible to stay or maintain the weight even long after the diet.

Building Muscle Cells: Protein rich diet increases the amount of protein consumed by you which is beneficial to the production and development of muscle cells. Besides that, protein is also essential in the growth and functioning of cells of the hair, skin, nails, bones and carriages. Blood cells are also greatly benefited by the activity of protein in our body.

Hormones are very important in maintaining the mental health and are also very functional in providing good health. Protein rich diets are also very helpful in generating as well as maintaining a healthy protein level in the body.

High Enzyme Levels: A good metabolism is directly related to how much enzyme is being produced for the body to use it up. Proteins are helpful in elevating the enzyme level of the body, which in turn is important in maintaining a good metabolism.

Muscular Body: When you consume a hearty amount of protein, the lean muscle mass growth and maintenance is also benefited. This is the reason, people trying to build a muscular body, rely heavily on protein intake.

Reduced Sugar Intake: When you consume more protein, you inherently lower the amount of carbohydrate and sugar intake, this has been proven to cause and enhancement in concentration and mental health. Lowering sugar intake has a direct effect on our mental health, like in maintaining mood swings.

Osteoporosis: Patients with osteoporosis, heart disorders and type-2 diabetes should rely on a protein enriched diet, because such a diet has been proven to be beneficial to people with such shortcomings.

Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome: High protein diet is also advised for women suffering from polycystic ovaries syndrome.

How High Protein Diet Bad for You?

The cons of having a protein rich diet:

Animal Fats: For people who rely greatly and mostly on meat products in order to satisfy their protein intake, should be aware that such animal products are likewise high in animal fat like saturated fats and cholesterol; these fats are obviously dangerous for people who have heart disorders or a weak heart. Animal fats may also lead to some types of cancer.

Avoiding Fruits and Vegetables: When we think about a protein rich diet, we mostly think of including meat products, thus avoiding fruits and vegetables. But, fruits and vegetables are the primary sources of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, bioflavonoids and beta-carotene. Apart from these, fruits are also important as they provide is with important minerals and are also rich in antioxidants. Removing fruits and vegetables from the diet, may hence lead to certain vitamin and mineral deficiency diseases.

No Fiber: While removing fruits and vegetables from your diet, you are also removing the only and primary sources of fibers. These fibers are what help you in having a convenient and smooth bowel movement. Lack of fiber from the diet may lead to irritable bowel movement, diverticulitis and also constipation.

Body Order: Nobody likes their armpits to be stinky. Having a lot of proteins may lead to the accumulation of ketones in the body which is directly related to body odor. Having a protein rich diet may hence lead to body odor. In order to avoid this, you must drink plenty of water.

If you are trying to get rid of obesity, and banking on a protein rich diet, the only hazard here is that studies have proven, that weight loss by intake of protein in case of obesity, is mostly not long term. The ineffectiveness can be attributed to the substantial water loss during the diet.

Kidney Stones: In case of a protein rich diet, there might even be chances of kidney stones. Since the protein rich diet may cause accumulation of acids in the kidney, they hamper kidney functioning, which may potentially lead to kidney stones.

There is no point in denying the greatness and effectiveness of fruits and vegetables, they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, as well as provide the body with healthy fibers, without these the body will not be able to work properly and may even face complications like deficiency diseases and a constipated bowel movement. It is also very important to choose the correct source of protein; you should not depend only on meats in order to get the daily dose of protein. Other protein rich vegetables and low fat products should also be considered. When following a diet, you should always take the help of a professional to ensure that all your body functions are being checked.

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Is High Protein Diet Good or Bad for You?