Neera completed a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Alberta. She has gone on to do a combined Masters in Public Health Nutrition and her Dietetic Internship upon which she will be registered with the Dietitians of Canada. She has worked as a Community Nutritionist for the South Asian population and has been featured in Flare Magazine and Family Health Magazine. Questions about food and nutrition? Calories in Indian foods? Low-fat desi-recipes or fad diets? Email her! neera@mybindi.com

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Why Low Carb Diets are Wrong

Hello Neera,

I'm on a modified high-protein diet, in conjunction with working out. I have two questions. First , how many grams of protein a day is too much? I always have proteins with carbs, but I am worried about kindey stones, purine and uric acid buildup. Second, what is the most effective way to absorb protein?

Thank you,

Aziz

Just as your car runs best on a certain type of fuel, so does the human body. Unfortunately the latest low-carbohydrate (carb) fad diets are not the fuel mix the human body was designed to run on. Here are the main health risks associated with consuming a high-protein, low-carb diet over the long run.

1. Heart Disease Risk Increases
Risk of heart disease is increased greatly on a low-carb, low-fiber diet that is high in animal protein, cholesterol and saturated fat. All three raise serum cholesterol, particularly LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Elimination of high-CARB, high-fiber plant foods, that help lower cholesterol, compounds this problem. A high meat intake may excessively increase homocysteine levels and iron stores in the body. There is growing evidence that high levels of both may increase the risk of heart disease.

2. Cancer Risk Increases
Risk of many cancers is likely to increase when most fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans are eliminated from the diet. The National Cancer Institute currently recommends, based on the bulk of scientific research, that you should eat a plant-based diet that is high-fiber and low in fat.

3. Poor Long Term Weight Control
There is no metabolic magic in low-carb diets. Those who continue to lose weight after the first week do so because they decrease calorie intake. This can occur because of decreased dietary variety. Greatly limiting the number of foods that people are allowed to eat, reduces their food and calorie intake. But a reduction in variety most often leads to boredom and cravings over the long run. One recent study showed that a high protein meal leads to a greater tendency towards binging of foods, high in sugar and fat, later in the day.

4. Reduced Athletic Performance
Athletic performance is reduced on a low-carb diet. Since the 1930's it has been known that a high-carb diet can enhance endurance during strenuous athletic events. That is why football players, and other athletes, load up on high-fiber carbs before a game or the slow release of energy. Mountain climbers and skiers should be warned that a ketogenic diet greatly increases the risk of mountain sickness.

5. Rising Blood Pressure with Age
Blood pressure will likely increase with age on a typical low-carb diet. In part, this is because a high-carb, high-fiber diet includes more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nonfat dairy products. This diet was shown to lower blood pressure most likely due to its higher content of key minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. Also low-carb diets do not restrict salt intake, the main reason blood pressure rises with age.

6. Gout
An excess of uric acid in the body causes gout. This excess can be caused by an increased intake of foods high in purines, which are broken down into uric acid in the body. Meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, eggs and seafood are all fairly high in purines. Elevated levels of uric acid in the blood may lead to needle-like uric acid crystals in joints.

7. Kidney Stones
Both uric acid and calcium oxalate stones are more likely to form on a high protein, ketogenic diet than on a higher carbohydrate diet with more fruits and vegetables.

8. Osteoporosis
Over time, excess protein intake, especially from animal sources, increases the loss of calcium in the urine which may contribute to osteoporosis.

9. Fainting
Orthostatic hypotension, or a rapid drop in blood pressure when you go from lying down to standing, is caused by a loss of fluid and electrolytes and reduced sympathetic nervous system activity. Both of these occur when your body is deprived of carbs. This may result in dizziness or even fainting when you stand up quickly.

10. Keto Breath
Keto-breath can be described as a cross between nail polish and over-ripe pineapple. This is common for dieters who consume so few carbs that they put their bodies in ketosis. Your best bet for permanent weight loss and control, as well as good health, is twofold: 1) increase the amount of fruits, vegetables, nonfat dairy products, whole grains and beans that you eat and 2) eliminate calorie-dense foods such as cookies, sugary desserts, bagels, crackers, chips, fries, pizza, candies, etc. Research on people who have successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off long term, shows that the vast majority succeeded by consuming a low-fat diet high in fiber coupled with regular exercise.

Don't let the wrong fuel mix run you down!