High Protein Diets - Are They Safe?

There is no question that high-protein low-carbohydrate diets are effective for weight loss. But because high protein foods usually have fat and cholesterol, there is a concern that being on a high protein diet may increase the risk of heart disease. Medical studies do not support this idea at all.

A study reported in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology in 1995 examined two groups of people with elevated cholesterol. They were placed on either low-protein high-carbohydrate or high-protein low-carbohydrate diet for four or five weeks and then switched to the opposite diet for additional four or five weeks. In other words, people who started with a low protein diet were switched to a high protein diet, and visa versa. The amount of fat, cholesterol, and fiber was the same in both groups.

People on high protein diet experienced up to 9 percent decrease in low density lipoproteins (LDL, the "bad" cholesterol), up to 17 percent increase in high density lipoproteins (HDL, the "good" cholesterol) and up to 23 percent reduction in triglycerides (fat in the blood). The authors concluded, "substitutions of dietary protein for carbohydrate favorably alters human blood cholesterol cardiovascular risk profiles." In other words, eating protein instead of carbohydrates improves cholesterol levels in the blood.

In 1999 the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study of over 80,000 women who were followed for 14 years. The participants provided detailed description of the kind of foods they ate, including how often and how much. They were separated in 5 groups based on the amount of protein in their diet.

The lowest group ate about 15 percent of calories as protein, while the highest consumed 24 percent. After fourteen years, there was a 26 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease in the group that ate the most protein. According to the authors "our findingsstrongly reject the hypothesis that a high protein intake, includinganimal protein, is associated with an increased risk of ischemicheart disease. On the contrary, our results suggest that a dietwith a relatively high protein and low carbohydrate contentmay reduce the risk."

This research should make you realize that protein is your friend. But it has to come from the foods that are as close to being natural as possible. There is nothing wrong with eating real eggs, but stay away from egg substitutes. Meat (steak, hamburgers) is fine, but not processed luncheon meats, such as salami, bologna, and hot dogs because they are full of chemicals, some of which may increase your risk of cancer.

As you see, animal proteins are not "artery clogging" as some "experts" still call them. People have been eating them from the beginning of times and you can too. If you have been avoiding them because you think it will make you healthier, now you know better.

If you really dislike meat or eggs, then by all means stay away from them. But if you enjoy a nice steak or an omelet, then go ahead and eat them as often as you like. If you can get free-range, organic meat and eggs, even better. And don't worry about your cholesterol, because the studies show not the increase, but the reduction of heart disease. 

Michael Teplitsky, MD has been practicing alternative and holistic medicine for over 20 years. He has treated thousands of patients using nutrition, herbs, and nutritional supplements. His book Nutrition and Your Health explains complex and confusing nutritional concepts in an easy to understand layman language. Please visit the CommonSenseHealthGuide.com CommonSenseHealthGuide.com to get a free report 7 Health Myths That Can Hurt You, health news, and other valuable information.