(U-WIRE) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There are healthy ways to approach weight loss and then there is the dangerous, yet popular, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet.
People have lost weight by eating a lot of protein and cutting back on their intake of carbohydrates, but "any type of diet that you start is going to work to a certain extent," said Greg Grove, Body Life Fitness personal trainer.
Grove knows of many people who are just beginning an exercise program who also are following the high-protein/low-carbohydrate plan, though he does not agree with it himself.
"Your body needs carbohydrates for energy and to function properly," Grove said.
Though dieters may see the pounds drop off when they look in the mirror, it's what they can't see that might harm them.
The American Dietetics Association and the American Heart Association do not support the high-protein diet because of the associated risks of coronary heart disease, said Jan Fonarow, staff dietitian for Ohio State's Student Health Services.
High-protein diets usually coincide with an increase in consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol, thereby increasing one's risk of developing coronary heart disease, Fonarow said. High cholesterol levels also are a danger.
Another threat is osteoporosis because a high-protein diet can leech calcium from the bones, causing them to lose density and weaken, Fonarow said.
Also, a byproduct of protein is uric acid and when this combines with other substances in our bodies, it can precipitate and cause kidney stones, Fonarow said. Gout, gall stones and dehydration are other effects that high-protein/low-carbohydrate diets can cause.
There is a general lack of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, "nature's cancer fighters," when the focus is on consuming protein and omitting carbohydrates, Fonarow said.
A body can only digest 40 grams of protein every two hours, Grove said, so any extra protein will be converted to fat. "Too much of anything can do damage," he said.
Depending on the amount of exercise people participate in, we should be consuming 0.8 grams to 1.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight, Fonarow said. For example, more sedentary people need fewer grams of protein than those who regularly lift weights. So a 125-pound person doing minimal physical activity would need around 45 grams of protein daily.
"Ninety percent of all diets fail," Fonarow said, usually because they get too expensive or they become boring.
