Question

You have learned that protein is important for body functions and that most of us get more than the RDA for protein. Why do you think the high protein diets such as The Zone and The Adkins Diet are so appealing to people who desire weight loss? Are there potential advantages and disadvantages to these diets? What would you counsel someone who was using one of these diets?

Answer 1

A typical diet s made up of 12-18% of calories from proteins, but in case of high protein diet it consists of increasing these amounts to near double the percentage. Eating foods high in protein has many benefits, including muscle building, weight loss, and feeling fuller after eating, Increases in muscle mass and strength. reduces appetite and hunger levels, lowers your blood pressure, boosts metabolism, etc.

Eating a high protein diet can help people loose weight because, a high protein diet can help build lean muscle when combined with exercise. Lean muscle helps to burn more calories throughout the day, which can help with weight loss, in addition to this eating a protein-rich diet can help people lose weight because it can help them avoid overeating, this happens because a high protein diet leads to the release of substance known as ketone into the bloodstream, this build up of ketone supresses hunger thereby helping in loosing weight. When you follow a high protein diet like the atkin diets, you are supposed to drastcaly limit the amount of carbohydrate intake, this causes loss of body fluids which could help you to drop some weight.

But not everyone agrees to this type of diets, for eg, The American Heart Association doesn't recommend high-protein diets, arguing that increased consumption of fatty meats and dairy foods raises your cholesterol and risk of a cardiovascular diseases increases and moreover by depreiving your body of carbohydrates and eliminating fruits and vegetables, this could result in reduction of fiber intake and certain nutrients, which in the long term could compromises your health, especialy as you age and this type of diet can harm you more if you do not exercise or lead an active life, so the bottom line is that if you follow a high protein diet than it is essential that you exercise and increase your physical activity.

My personal opinon is that if you have the will to do heavy exercise, than you might as well do it with a balanced diet which should contain adequate amounts of carbohydrates,proteins, fats, fibers, etc, which is more practical and natural way of doing things.