The Protein diet Is a nutritional regimen, usually hypocaloric (when its purpose is to lose weight), where the percentage of proteins increases compared to the traditional ratio of macronutrients.
In a Mediterranean diet , In fact, 55-60% of carbohydrates, 30% of fats and 10-15% of proteins are consumed daily.
In a protein diet, these proportions change in favor of protein and carbohydrate depletion: proteins rise to 30%, carbohydrates drop to 40% while lipids stay at 30%.
Before going into the details of this diet, I would like to briefly explain the functions of each of the three macronutrients, so that you are aware of the importance of each one when choosing a diet especially rich in protein.
Of the Carbohydrates Comes most of the energy we need to move, to fulfill the tasks of our day to day life, and are found in all vegetables (especially in cereals).
Because of lack of food education, it is easy to fall into the trap that carbohydrates are responsible for weight gain.
For this reason, in many"homemade"diets, they are often reduced or eliminated to allow more space for proteins.
Unlike what is commonly thought, carbohydrates do not make you fat.
It all depends on their quality, the amount we eat and the type of sauce or seasoning we use with them. For this reason always choose whole grains, which are a wonderful Fiber source And micronutrients (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals).
What determines the nutritive value of proteins?
Proteins Are macromolecules formed by amino acids.
The greater or less presence of essential amino acids in proteins will determine their nutritive value (biological value).
Essential amino acids are those that our body can not produce only and can only assimilate through food.
In general, proteins of animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, milk and derivatives) have a biological value greater than those of vegetable origin ( vegetables , Nuts, cereals).
However a high animal protein feed contributes a high intake of saturated fat which is important to limit.
Proteins have important functions in our body, such as:
- Defensive function, as they create antibodies and regulate factors against foreign agents or infections.
- Regulatory functions since they are formed of plasma proteins, hormones, digestive juices, enzymes and vitamins. Some proteins serve to regulate cell division and others regulate the expression of certain genes.
- Structural function: they form the muscles and many structures of the organism.
The role of lipids in food
To end the presentation of the macronutrients here are the Lipids (Fats) that constitute the energy nutrient par excellence.
They have their origin in the diet although some cells are able to synthesize them.
The fats you consume give your body the energy it needs to work properly.
Those that you obtain with the feeding give you the essential fatty acids (those that your body can not produce by itself).
Your body needs them for Brain development , Control of inflammation and blood clotting.
Lipids have 9 calories per gram, more than 2 times the number of calories in both carbohydrates and proteins, which have 4 calories per gram.
That is why foods high in fat are called"fattening."
How does the protein diet work and what effects does it have?
Now let's see how a protein diet works and what effect it has on our body.
The protein diet has become very famous because it allows to lose weight quickly, especially at the beginning, without losing muscle mass. For this reason it has been one of the preferred regime for athletes who wanted to increase their muscle mass and for overweight people who used to be discouraged by not seeing great results with another type of diet soon.
But what exactly happens when we have a protein diet?
When we feed in this way we"break"the normal functioning of our organism when it comes to producing energy.
In a normally balanced diet our body uses a series of biochemical processes to get the energy it needs for the proper functioning of the body and its vital functions.
In a normal situation, it draws the energy it needs from the metabolism of carbohydrates, but when its contribution decreases considerably, then it turns to fat reserves and hence the rapid loss of weight.
All the most known protein diets (Atkins diet, Dukan, Siken...) are based on this mechanism that takes the name of ketosis.
The Ketosis Is then a metabolic condition of the body that is activated when carbohydrates are lacking.
In this situation he begins to use the catabolism of fats in order to obtain energy, generating compounds called ketone bodies. These, through complex biochemical processes, form acetoacetate, a substance that is used as energy by the brain and the rest of the organs of the human body.
In this way, the body no longer uses carbohydrates as a primary source of energy, but fat reserves and, for this reason, thinning turns out to be faster than with a normal diet.
In fact, after a few days, it is possible to see the first results: the person feels more deflated and notice a loss of weight.
It is difficult to imagine how this condition generates a strong motivation to continue the diet to see even more results.
However, as always happens in this life, there are two sides of the same coin.
What on the one hand seems a fantastic and easy method to lose weight, on the other hides many harmful effects to our health and our physical form.
The state of ketosis that is generated is not free, that is, in the long term, a price is paid for it. By this I mean that already from the two weeks begin to generate the first physiological imbalances that can affect in a very important way to our health.
Let's see them one by one.
1- Causes long-term kidney damage
The end result of protein degradation is a substance called urea.
This forms in the liver, appears in the blood and is eliminated by the urine through the filtration by the kidneys.
In a protein diet, and even more a hyper protein, in which we ingest an excessive amount of proteins, also increases the concentration of urea in the blood and, for that reason, the kidneys have to work very much to be able to eliminate it through the urine .
Imagine this repeated situation one and more times during a long season: the kidneys will have to work intensely ending up"tired"and damaged.
2- It affects the base acid and electrolyte balance of the body
The correct PH value of the blood is fundamental for the correct functioning of our organism and, then, to maintain a good state of health.
Having a protein diet generates a condition called metabolic acidosis, ie a state in which our blood has an acid PH, which is not compatible with our health.
For this reason the body, which is wise, activates some mechanisms of regulation of the PH, so that it returns to an optimum value.
Surely you have studied in the classes of chemistry of the institute buffer buffer, which is nothing more than a buffer and regulating solution of PH, which has the ability to keep the pH of a solution stable.
When the pH of the blood is too acid the body uses a buffer solution to cushion this acidity, using a basic solution: the calcium salts.
And where do you get them? Of the bones. That is to say that the more proteins we eat the more we are removing calcium to our bones.
People who usually have a hyper protein diet for years, in fact, often suffer from osteoporosis .
3- Has negative effects on endocrine function
In addition to catabolic effects on bone architecture and strength, acidosis induces disorders in endocrine function, such as alterations in growth hormone levels, IGF-1, insulin, glucocorticoids, thyroid hormone, parathyroid hormone, and vitamin D .
As a consequence of this mechanism our body is in an unbalanced state, in which it loses its functions.
As you can intuit the long-term protein diet is not advisable.
For a long time I mean a period of time longer than two or three weeks.
I want to ask you a question: what is the use of losing weight quickly by eating unbalanced?
The word diet comes from the Greek word"diaita"meaning lifestyle. Weight loss is nothing more than a natural consequence of a healthy life style Of a healthy and balanced diet.
Also remember one thing: to return to a normal diet you will start to regain what you lost.
Remember that diet has to be something that improves your health, not the other way around.
I also want to say that not all protein diets are the same.
There are"pure"and other moderate hyperprotein diets.
The former (such as the Atkins diet) completely eliminates carbohydrates (including fruit and vegetables). They only eat meat, eggs, fish, unleashing all the harmful mechanisms I just told you about.
The latter reduce the amount of carbohydrates but do not eliminate them altogether.
In this article I will leave an example of the latter, as a nutritionist, I do not share the first.
| MONDAY | Breakfast: Scrambled egg, natural orange juice, coffee with milk (unsweetened) Snack: Natural yogurt with blueberries and a handful of natural nuts. Lunch: Chicken breast with vegetables Snack: a piece of fruit Dinner: Fish with vegetables. |
| TUESDAY | Breakfast: Scrambled egg, natural orange juice, coffee with milk (unsweetened) Snack: Natural yogurt with blueberries and a handful of natural nuts. Lunch: Chickpeas burgers with vegetables Snack: a piece of fruit Dinner: Salmon and vegetables. |
| WEDNESDAY | Breakfast: Scrambled egg, natural orange juice, coffee with milk (unsweetened) Snack: Natural yogurt with blueberries and a handful of natural nuts. Lunch: Grilled veal steak with vegetables Snack: a piece of fruit Dinner: Sautéed vegetables with tofu |
| THURSDAY | Breakfast: Scrambled egg, natural orange juice, coffee with milk (unsweetened) Snack: Natural yogurt with blueberries and a handful of natural nuts. lunch : Tuna with vegetables Snack: a piece of fruit Dinner: French omelette with vegetables. |
FRIDAY | Breakfast: Scrambled egg, natural orange juice, coffee with milk (unsweetened) Snack: Natural yogurt with blueberries and a handful of natural nuts. Lunch: chicken with vegetables Snack: a piece of fruit Dinner: Sea bass with vegetables. |
| SATURDAY | Breakfast: Scrambled egg, natural orange juice, coffee with milk (unsweetened) Snack: Natural yogurt with blueberries and a handful of natural nuts. Lunch: Salad of chickpeas, tuna, tomatoes and avocado Snack: a piece of fruit Dinner: Seitan burger with vegetables. |
| SUNDAY | Breakfast: Scrambled egg, natural orange juice, coffee with milk Snack: Natural yogurt with blueberries and a handful of natural nuts. Lunch: Turkey breast with lettuce and tomato salad Snack: a piece of fruit Dinner: Grilled sardines with steamed vegetables. |
References
- Hyperproteic diets and their metabolic consequences Michelle López-Luzardo
- Hess J, Slavin J. Defining"Protein"Foods. Nutr Today. 2016 May; 51 (3): 117-120.
- Lee J1, Choi J1, Scafidi S2, Wolfgang MJ3. Hepatic Fatty Acid Oxidation Restrains Systemic Catabolism during Starvation. Cell Rep. 2016 Jun 15.
- SOUZA, F. P. DE; PEIXOTO, J.C.; TO WORTH.; Hyperprotein and balanced diet associated with training effects in wheight loss of individuals that practice muscle training. Fitness & Performance Journal, v.5, no 3, p. 123-128, 2006.
- Food and Your Bones - Osteoporosis Nutrition Guidelines. Nof.org
- Robert P Heaney and Donald K Layman Amount and type of protein influences bone health. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008 May; 87 (5): 1567S-1570.