Are High-Protein/Low-Carbohydrate Diets Effective?

Probably more widely debated than any other diet in scientific and consumer literature is the high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet.These plans have been a part of diet lexicon since the mid-1800s, with William Banting’s Letter on Corpulence (2). Billed as the “world’s first diet book,” Banting’s work recommended eating lots of meat, a few vegetables, and avoiding foods that he previously overconsumed.

Today the term “low-carb diet” is often thought of as synonymous with the Atkins diet, named after cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins. Also known as just “Atkins,” the diet restricts carbohydrate consumption by eliminating most carbohydrates (rice, bread, pasta) and replacing them with meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy products (3).

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, low-carbohydrate diets became some of the most popular diets in the U.S., and versions of this diet (the Zone Diet, Protein Power Lifeplan, Go Lower Diet, and South Beach Diet, among others) remain popular today.

In most formats, the carbohydrate-modified (low-carbohydrate/high-protein) diet is a ketogenic diet, which induces a state of ketosis through severe limitation of dietary carbohydrates. Ketosis occurs in metabolism when the liver converts fat into fatty acids, and ketones (the byproduct of incomplete fat metabolism) reach high levels in the blood (4).

Read more: What is a Ketogenic Diet & How Do You Follow It

A compendium of nutrition research (which you can find in the NASM nutrition program) has examined the manipulation of macronutrient content to produce a “metabolic advantage” for weight loss. However, there is no consensus in the literature that low-carbohydrate diets produce significantly greater rates of weight loss or longer-term weight loss maintenance when compared with more conventional low-fat diets (5-7). Additionally, the American Heart Association warns people that the high protein and saturated fat content of the Atkins diet can be harmful to the heart.

If high-protein diets produce a greater amount of weight loss in some studies, what are the possible mechanisms? Scientists suggest that several mechanisms may be responsible for the weight loss seen with low-carbohydrate diets:

• The severe restriction of carbohydrate depletes glycogen (stored carbohydrate) supply, leading to excretion of bound water.
• The ketogenic nature of the diet may suppress appetite, leading to reduced caloric intake.
• The high protein content of low-carbohydrate diets may provide greater hormonally mediated satiety, thereby reducing spontaneous food intake.
• The self-selection from limited food choices may lead to a decrease in caloric intake.

In a review article of 107 published research studies designed to evaluate changes in weight among adults using low-carbohydrate diets in the outpatient setting, Bravata (8) found that weight loss while using low-carbohydrate diets was principally associated with decreased caloric intake and increased diet duration, but not with reduced carbohydrate content. In other words, the calorie reduction and negative energy balance that occurs on these diets induce weight loss. It is worth noting that many studies in this area are limited by a high attrition (drop-out rate) and by lack of adherence to the diet.

Where does this leave health and fitness professionals with regard to low-carbohydrate diets and questions from clients? The acceptable macronutrient distributions range (AMDR) is 45% to 65% of total calories from carbohydrates. According to science supporting the AMDR, anyone eating an adequate energy provision for weight loss from nutrient-dense foods, with 45% to 65% of total calories from carbohydrates, will fall inside of the recommendation.

That said, the emphasis of nutrition counseling today is to preserve (as much as possible) the way clients like to eat. Weight loss requires habit changes, but behaviorists who specialize in weight loss suggest that if client preferences can be preserved, they should be. In other words, if a client loves sweet potatoes, whole-grain bread, oatmeal, and legumes (all nutrient-dense carbohydrates), they may not be very compliant with a program that provides only 45% of total calories from carbohydrates. They also do not need to be on a low-carbohydrate diet to lose weight, as any reduction in calorie intake below daily expenditure will induce weight loss.

Low-carbohydrate diets may work for some people, and as long as the diets are within the AMDR and provide nutrient-dense foods, they should not present a health risk. But they are not for everyone. Flexibility on behalf of the counselor and client is crucial to weight loss success (9, 10).

In other words, the difficulty for most people lies not in the diet, per se, but in adherence to the diet. The closer the weight loss program is to the way clients like to eat, the more successful they are going to be. For example, a client who generally consumes low amounts of calories but gets adequate micronutrients will adhere well to a low calorie diet. But there are dangers to consider for low calorie diets. 

Alternatively, clients can choose to simply decrease the frequency of meals, portion sizes of the foods they normally consume, high-fat/energy-dense foods, or make any acceptable dietary changes to reduce caloric intake. If you want a great tool for calculating macronutrients for weight loss, follow the link. 

References:

1. Kantrowitz B and Kalb C. Diet Hype: How the media collides with science. Newsweek. March 13, 2006.
2. Banting W. Letter on Corpulence, 1863. USA: New York: Cosimo Classics; 2005.
3. Astrup A, Larson TM, Harper A. Atkins and other low-carbohydrate diets: hoax or 
an effective tool for weight loss. Lancet. 2004; 364:897-9.
4. Whitney E & Rolfes SR Eds. Understanding Nutrition. 11th ed. Belmont, CA 
Thomson Higher Education; 2008, p.113
5. Eisenstein J, Roberts SB, Dallal G, Saltzman E. High protein weight loss diets: Are they safe and do they work? A review of the experimental and epidemiological data. Nutrition Reviews. 2002; 60:189 — 200.
6. Pittas SG, Roberts SB. Dietary composition and weight loss: Can we individualize dietary prescriptions according to insulin sensitivity and secretion status? Nutrition Reviews. 2006; 64:435-448.
7. Schoeller, DA, Buchholtz AC. Energetics of obesity and weight control: Does diet composition matter? J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105 (5):S24 — S28.
8. Bravata DM, et al. Efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets: a systematic review. JAMA. 2003;289(14):1837-50.
9. Nonas CA, Foster G. Setting achievable goals for weight loss J Amer Diet Assoc. 2005; 105:(S118 — S123).
10. Reeves R, Bolton, MP, Gee M. Dietary approaches, practical application. In: Foster GD, Nonas CA eds. Managing Obesity: A Clinical Guide. Chicago, IL ADA; 2004:98- 117.