The Risks of a High Protein, Low-Carb Diet

Although short-term carbohydrate restriction can lead to significant weight loss within a week, there are concerns regarding its sustainability over longer periods, spanning months to years.

Popular for weight loss, low carbohydrate diets involve reducing carbohydrate intake while increasing protein or fat consumption, or both. Yet, the long-term impact on mortality remains contentious, particularly concerning the replacement of dietary carbohydrates with either plant-based or animal-based fats and proteins.

Studies suggest that low carbohydrate diets emphasizing animal-derived sources like lamb, beef, pork, and chicken are associated with higher mortality rates. Conversely, those emphasizing plant-derived sources such as vegetables, nuts, peanut butter, and whole-grain breads are linked to lower mortality rates.

Complications arising from prolonged carbohydrate restriction include heart arrhythmias, cardiac function impairment, osteoporosis, kidney damage, heightened cancer risk, reduced physical activity, and lipid abnormalities.

Professor Maciej Banach from the European Society of Cardiology advocates against low carbohydrate diets, deeming them unsafe and warning against their adoption. He discovered that individuals following such diets face an elevated risk of premature death, with increased susceptibility to specific causes such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

A study examining 24,825 participants revealed alarming statistics: those consuming the lowest levels of carbohydrates experienced a 32 percent higher risk of all-cause death over six years compared to those with higher carbohydrate intake. Furthermore, risks of death from heart disease and cancer were elevated by 51 percent and 35 percent, respectively.

Professor Banach emphasizes, "While low carbohydrate diets may offer short-term benefits like weight loss and improved blood pressure and glucose control, our findings underscore their long-term association with heightened mortality risks from various causes, including cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and cancer."