Consequences of a protein diet. Deadly weight loss - the most dangerous diets Is the protein diet dangerous?

A protein diet is certainly effective and helps to get rid of extra pounds even in cases where other nutritional systems are powerless. But few people think about what this effectiveness is connected with, and what harm protein nutrition causes to the body.

Why this diet helps you quickly lose fat is stated in the article “Why is a protein diet effective?” Here we will analyze in detail the reasons for the negative effects on the body and describe actions to reduce harm.

We emphasize that harm can only be reduced. It is impossible to make protein nutrition absolutely harmless, so it should be temporary.

Attention!!!
People with kidney and cardiovascular diseases need to be extremely attentive to their well-being and follow the recommendations below only after consulting a doctor.

The result achieved with the help of protein nutrition can be maintained and improved only on the basis of the principles

I would like to come up with a diet so that you can eat more tasty things and at the same time lose weight. This dream, which seemed unrealizable for many, took on real shape in the form of the “Kremlin diet” or the “diet of American astronauts,” but best known as the protein diet.

Its author is called the American Dukan - another name for it is the “Dukan diet”. The British Dietetic Association has made serious accusations against him. According to professionals, Dukan is accused of developing a diet without having anything to do with medicine, and thus simply earning fabulous sums from his publications. At the same time, the diet he developed caused and continues to cause enormous harm to the body of everyone who risked losing weight thanks to his advice.

The essence of the Dukan diet is the complete exclusion of fats and the almost complete absence of carbohydrates. He suggests replacing the latter with vegetables. At the same time, as a non-specialist, Dukan did not take into account that the human body absorbs sugar from some vegetables much faster than regular sugar, which is like death for diabetics who are losing weight.

Experts from the American Medical Association explain that initially the protein diet was used exclusively by those who were professional bodybuilders. It is the most effective means for losing weight and cutting, and most importantly, this diet perfectly builds muscle mass.

A little later, a protein diet was proposed as the most effective way to lose weight, but for these purposes it was modified. So, a very small percentage of carbohydrates was added to it. However, the main thing remains unchanged - when using a diet, it is imperative to engage in physical exercise. This is due to the fact that with a protein diet, the body loses weight very quickly, and the skin does not have time to adapt to this - it sags and has the most unsightly appearance. Nutritionist and sports nutrition expert Olga Larina explains that after such a diet with the introduction of carbohydrates into the diet, the weight will begin to rapidly return, so it is extremely important to give the body a sports load all the time. This is especially important for women, as they are most prone to eating sweets and gaining weight faster.

Dietitian Larisa Mulyk, a member of the National Association of Dietetics and Nutritionists, explains in detail the essence of the protein diet and its negative consequences: the basis of the diet is meat, eggs, cheese, fish, and dairy products. Since the body begins to burn carbohydrates to obtain the necessary energy, in the absence of these during a protein diet, it switches to fats. And when large amounts of fat are burned, ketone bodies are formed in the body. Their accumulation causes a shift in the acid-base balance, or acidosis. If the amount of ketones exceeds a certain level, a person may fall into a coma.

But this is an extreme case. Basically, a protein diet, according to Larisa Mulyk, causes an unpleasant odor in the mouth and the appearance of bags under the eyes, which indicates a violation of the kidneys. Eating cold protein dishes is a direct path to gastritis and enterocolitis. With long-term use of this diet, the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and often cancer, increases.

Sitting on proteins alone, due to a lack of carbohydrates, the body begins to experience a lack of energy, as a result of which its performance sharply decreases and fatigue increases. At the same time, the women’s body receives an additional disadvantage - due to its physiological abilities, during such a diet, a restructuring of metabolic substances occurs in it. One of its significant consequences is the deterioration of the condition of hair, nails and skin.

But the negative consequences for women are not limited to this. The most dangerous for them are disturbances in hormonal balance and ovarian function, inflammation of the appendages and, as a result, infertility.

The American Medical Association conducted studies that involved several thousand volunteers aged 50 to 65 years. They all used a protein diet for a long time. Doctors monitored their condition. The result was shocking: 75 percent of protein food lovers died prematurely. In all subjects, the risk of cancer increased fourfold. These figures refer to those whose diet contained at least twenty percent protein. Experts from the United States compare the dangers of a protein diet with smoking twenty cigarettes every day.

Scientists from Sydney came to unexpected conclusions. In the course of research, they found that with long-term use, a protein diet begins to have the opposite effect: it promotes fat deposition while simultaneously reducing appetite. Australian scientists conducted their experiments on rodents. About a hundred animals were kept on different diets, and those who ate the most protein developed diseases of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems faster, and life expectancy was sharply reduced.

Regarding the protein diet, doctors are unanimous that it can be used for no more than two weeks, and then take a break for at least a year. Then there will be a minimum of negative consequences from it, and you can lose weight noticeably.

Losing weight at any cost is the goal of many women who have tried all sorts of techniques and methods and have not achieved a pronounced or lasting result. As a rule, those who have already mastered many diets do not differ in willpower, which leads to a quick abandonment of the chosen method of losing weight. Meanwhile, changing one diet to another leads to a malfunction of all organs and systems, especially since most fashionable diets are harmful in themselves, and some are even life-threatening.

When choosing a diet as a way to lose weight, you should definitely consult a doctor and switch to a new diet under the supervision of a nutritionist. Well, we provide a list of the most dangerous diets and will try to explain what their potential risks are.

What are the dangers of a protein diet?

The main danger of a protein diet is oversaturation with proteins and the lack of high-grade fats, without which the normal functioning of the body is impossible. In addition, a diet consisting primarily of protein products contributes to slagging of the body, acidification of environments, and its premature aging.

The menu includes non-starchy vegetables and greens, but many exclude them, believing that they thereby contribute to improved results, bringing the desired weight closer. In fact, such arbitrariness leads to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract cannot cope with the incoming volumes of protein, without fiber as assistants. This is fraught with digestive disorders in the form of constipation, the formation of stones in the kidneys and gall bladder, and intoxication, since poorly digested food accumulates in the intestines, poisoning the body.

Only the presence of fruits and vegetables, cereals can improve metabolism and relieve the intestines, and preference for protein leads to disturbances in the enzymatic composition and overloads the body, especially the liver and kidneys. Don't forget about another risk - excess protein thickens the blood, which leads to thrombosis.

It is also important that those with a sweet tooth, deprived of sugar, intensively use various substitutes, which are pure chemicals, and thereby damage the kidneys, liver, and pancreas. Isn’t it true that diseases of such important organs are too much to pay for harmony, which is unlikely to last long?

Why is the Dukan diet dangerous?

The next high-risk diet is the Dukan diet. Why is the Dukan diet dangerous? It is already known for certain that the world-famous “nutritionist” Pierre Dukan has nothing to do with dietetics and the diet he developed is just part of a well-planned marketing that brings in fabulous income (selling books and releasing other branded products).

The dangers of his diet are not speculation; this is the official conclusion of the British Dietetic Association, which brought charges against Dukan that he is profiting from people’s problems without caring about their health.

At its core, the Dukan diet is a high-protein diet with a complete exclusion of fats and a maximum restriction of carbohydrates.

The fundamental provisions of the Dukan diet are filled with factual errors and unscientific justifications, and the proposed list of products dooms the body to metabolic disorders: with such a diet, fat-soluble vitamins will no longer be absorbed, which threatens a deficiency of calcium and many other minerals.

Dukan’s other mistake can also be costly – he suggests saturating the body with carbohydrates from vegetables, believing them to be chalked, but sugar from some vegetables is absorbed faster than pure sugar, which can worsen the condition of diabetic patients who trust Dukan. In addition to such risks, it is worth saying that almost eighty percent of those who lose weight return to their original weight within a couple of years.

What are the dangers of a salt-free diet?

Another diet that brings great harm to the entire body is salt-free. At first glance, it is difficult to understand why a salt-free diet is dangerous, because all doctors unanimously say that salt is poison. However, even without the required 5-6 g of salt per day, our metabolism begins to experience difficulties, especially if the body has previously been accustomed to receiving iodized salt, which often serves as the only source of iodine in areas poor in this microelement. In this case, the transition to such a diet should be combined with taking iodine medications and consulting with an endocrinologist.

Complete exclusion of salt from the diet also leads to disruption of the water-salt balance, which can cause diseases of the blood vessels and heart, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and change the composition of the blood. In a word, a lack or complete absence of salt in food is just as harmful as its excess. This is worth remembering even when you choose to use diuretics for weight loss. In both cases, the electrolyte composition of the blood should be constantly monitored.

Losing weight on a salt-free diet is indicated only with constant monitoring by an endocrinologist and nutritionist; only then will this diet bring benefit and not harm.

In order to lose weight without harm to your health, you need to know which products have the properties and create your own menu from them.

Those who are interested in their health know that they exist, which is an undoubted help in losing weight.

People with a sweet tooth love honey, and it has been proven that with its help you can achieve the desired slimness! How?

Why is the buckwheat diet dangerous?

The popular buckwheat diet also raises many questions, so why is it dangerous? Eating on this diet is especially at risk for those who have high blood clotting, since buckwheat thickens the blood even more, since this product is extremely rich in iron.

It is also dangerous for everyone, without exception, that the buckwheat diet leads to dehydration and digestive disorders in the form of constipation - almost everyone notes severe dry mouth and intestinal problems.

Why is the kefir diet dangerous?

The kefir diet is considered one of the easiest, which is why many people like it so much, however, it can also cause various disorders in the functioning of organs and systems, like any of the mono-diets.

Why is the kefir diet dangerous? The kefir diet will cause the greatest harm to those who have various problems in the gastrointestinal tract, especially those who have acquired gastritis with high acidity, ulcers, kidney stones or gall bladder. The acid of this dairy product can easily provoke an exacerbation of chronic diseases or lead to their appearance if you abuse the diet and violate the duration of the weight loss period.

Why is the Kremlin diet dangerous?

Literally five years ago, the weight-loss community went crazy over the so-called Kremlin diet, but today all those who ate by counting points have long since returned to their original weight, burdening themselves with a bunch of ailments associated with the liver, stomach and kidneys. And the point here is not even the initial harmfulness of the diet, but the wrong approach to it - most excluded high-index carbohydrates from the diet, preferring more protein foods with a low index, trying to overcome hunger.

A huge risk is that the Kremlin allows an unlimited amount of fat. All this leads to disturbances in the functioning of organs. Doctors say that this diet can cause infertility, the formation of kidney and gallstones, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and other dangerous conditions.

What are the dangers of a low-carbohydrate diet?

Do its supporters take risks and what are the dangers of a low-carbohydrate diet? Any complete exclusion from the diet of one of the components of our usual diet, be it fats, proteins or carbohydrates, will cause a certain imbalance in the body.

In the case of a carbohydrate-free diet, the main burden will be on the kidneys, liver, and vascular system, since by removing carbohydrates from the menu, you can replace them with fats and proteins without restrictions. This is a very attractive diet for gourmets, since it is quite acceptable to eat fried meat, fish, lard, that is, everything that in most diets falls into the section of prohibited foods. However, such a diet will inevitably lead to increased acidity (gastritis and ulcers), hepatosis (fatty degeneration of the liver), gallstones (the bile will be very thick, lithogenic), kidney stones (they simply cannot cope with the excretion of the increased content of amino acids).

The above examples once again clearly show that diets are harmful, and the only sure way to lose weight is a combination of a balanced diet and physical activity.

Protein diets, if used correctly and for a short period of time, are generally not dangerous. Eating high in protein promotes weight loss and keeps you feeling full longer than with a regular diet.

However, research into the risks and consequences of using such diets and limiting the proportion of carbohydrates in the diet has been ongoing for a long time. It has already been proven that long-term use of a protein diet can have a negative impact on health.

Harm of a protein diet

• Deficiency of fiber, nutrients. The reason is the organic amount of carbohydrates consumed. As a result, constipation, headaches, and bad breath may occur.
• Some high-protein diets include foods that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (eg, high-fat dairy products, red meat).
• Such diets also pose a threat to people suffering from various kidney diseases, which is associated with a high likelihood of problems with the elimination of protein metabolic products.

When choosing a high-protein diet for weight loss, you should choose your proteins carefully. The diet should include legumes, fish, soy protein, nuts, lean pork, lean beef, and dairy products with a minimum percentage of fat. It is not recommended to consume processed meat.

It is also important to strictly monitor the quality of carbohydrates. You should exclude those in processed form, and choose those that are rich in nutrients and fiber (fruits, vegetables, whole grain products).

It is recommended that you consult with your doctor before starting a new nutrition program. This is especially necessary if you have kidney problems, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes or any chronic disease.

First of all, there must be an understanding that weight loss may be short-term. This is especially true when a person abruptly returns to the traditional regime and diet.

Harm of a protein diet - Video

Not every person who wants to use its rules knows how harmful a protein diet is in order to lose weight in a short time. Of course, in one week you can lose about 4 kg with proper additional physical activity, but if you stick to such a diet for a long time, you can seriously harm yourself.

Like any diet, protein diet also has contraindications. First of all, it is prohibited for older people to use it. This is explained by the fact that a large amount of calcium is consumed, which in the human body becomes less and less with age. In addition, high protein content causes blood clotting rates to increase, so there is an increased risk of blood clots forming in the blood vessels. And this is also dangerous for older people. By the way, young people also have a risk of thrombosis, so you should not ignore such warnings.

But there are other contraindications. For example, people who suffer from liver and kidney diseases are prohibited from going on such a diet. Contraindications also apply to any heart pathologies. In addition, people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract should not resort to such a measure. This applies to colitis, dysbiosis, chronic pancreatitis, irritable bowel syndrome. Gout is also a contraindication.

Such food is prohibited for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. In addition, you always need to follow the rules of the diet and monitor the deadlines. You are allowed to lose weight this way only once a year, and then the duration is no more than two weeks. All restrictions are related to the fact that the protein diet has pros and cons, which also need to be taken into account. Otherwise, such nutrition will cause irreparable harm to human health.

Negative effects of a protein diet on the human body

The harm of a protein diet is that it can lead to excess protein, and this is not always acceptable. Basically, such nutrition is the basis for the Kremlin diet or Dukan nutrition principles. A person’s body weight decreases significantly due to the fact that a person gives up simple carbohydrates and sugar. In addition, the restriction concerns the consumption of saturated fats. The calorie content of your daily diet is also reduced. But the amount of food containing large amounts of protein increases significantly. As a result, this is the complete opposite of how a low protein diet goes.

Of course, proteins are very important for humans. It is from them that the main dense part of the muscles, various protective devices such as nails and hair, and the tissues of the supporting mechanism consist. Protein is needed for immune cells that protect the human body from various infections. Protein does not accumulate in the body, so it is necessary to constantly consume it with food. A low-protein diet can lead to a lack of proteins, which will immediately affect the functioning of many organs and systems.

However, for the body to function normally, it requires not only proteins, but also carbohydrates and fats, albeit in small quantities. For example, carbohydrates are considered the main source of energy; they are required for the functioning of all organs, as they are responsible for cell division and growth. But saturated fats are necessary for the functioning of the brain, respiratory organs and testosterone synthesis in men.

If you do not get enough of all these elements from food, this will lead to their deficiency, and then to various diseases. Of course, a low-protein diet also has various disadvantages, but a large amount of proteins and a lack of fats and carbohydrates are also very dangerous. The body experiences stress because it is in extreme conditions. To make up for the lack of carbohydrate, it first uses up glycogen, which has accumulated in the liver and muscles, and then switches to fat reserves.

Harm from a protein diet

The disadvantages of a protein diet are quite significant. All these disadvantages must be taken into account.

Kidney diseases. First of all, eating according to such principles leads to kidney diseases, and this applies to both women and men. Due to the fact that a person intensively consumes foods that contain proteins, the kidneys work hard. And the diet itself for kidney disease is also very dangerous. It is this organ that is responsible for removing all substances after the breakdown of proteins. Their high concentration leads to urine acidification. And this provokes inflammatory processes in the organs of the urinary system and increases the excretion of oxalate salts.

Even a healthy person will begin to form kidney stones, and the most dangerous are the oxalate type, since they have a spike-like structure. A low-protein diet does not cause this complication. Such overloads are very dangerous, as the functioning of the kidneys is impaired. When an organ becomes clogged with stones, it must be removed.

High cholesterol levels. The harm from an exclusively protein diet also lies in the fact that the concentration of “bad” cholesterol in the bile and blood increases. According to scientific research, with a protein diet, the risk of developing heart and blood vessel diseases increases by almost 30%. Moreover, this applies to both stroke and heart attack. An increased level of cholesterol concentration leads to atherosclerosis. And because of this, coronary heart disease develops, blood circulation in the brain and limbs is disrupted. Such consequences can develop even after a short course of diet.

Intestinal problems. Another problem for the body after such a strict and irrational diet is that the functioning of the intestines is disrupted. You have to eat food that does not contain enough fiber. As a result, disruptions in intestinal function begin. Constipation appears, and it can be prolonged, and this leads to an acute form of hemorrhoids. In addition, food is poorly digested, rotting begins in the intestines, and its walls become covered with plaque. Appetite gradually worsens, nausea occurs, and an unpleasant aroma appears from the mouth. Subsequently, intoxication begins. And this is additional stress, which leads to other serious diseases. Gradually, the body will adapt to such a diet, but it will no longer be able to accept other foods.

Other diseases also develop. When protein is broken down, ammonia is formed. It has a bad effect on the nervous system. With constant consumption of protein foods, a large amount of this substance accumulates, which leads to irritability and nervousness.

Eating according to such principles leads to the fact that the liver has to work in difficult conditions. The risk of developing diabetes mellitus increases. A lack of polyunsaturated fatty acids causes the walls of blood vessels to become fragile.

To process large amounts of protein, calcium is required. With its deficiency, the reserve from the bone structures begins to be used, so that they become brittle. Brain function gradually deteriorates. Women's fertility decreases. I may experience seizures. This is due to weakened immunity and vitamin deficiency.

Every person who wants to start losing weight with a protein diet should know the dangers of a protein diet.

No matter how popular, useful and effective it is, you must take into account that it has a number of contraindications and will not benefit everyone.

In addition, you should always take into account the timing - such a measure is allowed no more than once a year and no more than 14 days. Otherwise, you can greatly harm your body.