Protein Diets Myths

Protein is the king of all nutrients which provides the building blocks for enzymes and hormones, enables nerve and brain cells to effectively communicate with one another, and fosters the repair and growth of muscle tissue. The consumption of protein is the most controversial of all nutritional topics. Many nutrition professionals have not kept abreast of recent research and continue to espouse outmoded theories on the subject.

1. Myth: High protein diets make you fat.

Fact: There is no doubt that eating too much protein will pack on the pounds but so will eating too many calories from carbs or fat. Weight gain is governed by the law of thermodynamics: if you consume more calories than you expend, you'll gain weight. If you were to eat a meal containing only protein, carbs, or fat, the protein meal would cause the least amount of weight gain. A large percentage of calories from protein are burned off in the digestion process. This is called the thermic effect of food. Of all the macronutrients, protein has the highest thermic effect, burning off approximately 25% of protein of the calories consumed . In comparison, only 15% of the calories from carbs are burned off in digestion; fat has virtually no thermic effect whatsoever. Unlike carbs, protein doesn't stimulate a significant insulin response. Insulin is a storage hormone. While its primary purpose is to neutralize blood sugar, it also is responsible for shuttling fat into adipocytes. When carbohydrates are ingested, the pancreas secretes insulin to clear blood sugar from the circulatory system.

Depending on the quantities and types of carbs consumed, insulin levels can fluctuate wildly, heightening the possibility of fat storage. The consumption of protein tends to increase the production of glucagon, a hormone that opposes the effect of insulin. Since a primary function of glucagon is to signal the body to burn fat for fuel, fat loss, rather than fat gain, tends to be promoted.

2. Myth: High protein diets are damaging to your kidneys.

Fact: The metabolism of protein entails a complex sequence of events in order for proper assimilation to take place. It is not recommended to take Xenical for anorexics. During digestion, protein is broken down into its component parts, the amino acids. A byproduct of this occurrence is the production of ammonia, a toxic substance, in the body. Ammonia, in turn, is rapidly converted into the relatively non-toxic substance urea, which is then transported to the kidneys for excretion.