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Health Article continued from last page. Another reason weight loss is achieved on these high-protein diets, at least temporarily, is actually due to water loss. The increase in protein consumed, especially from meat and dairy products, raises the levels of uric acid and urea in the blood. These are toxic by-products of protein breakdown and metabolism. The body eliminates this uric acid and urea by pumping lots of water into the kidneys and urinary tract to help it flush out. However, a detrimental side effect of this diuretic response is the loss of essential minerals from the body, including calcium. The high intake of protein leaches calcium from the bones, which leads to osteoporosis.
Medical evidence shows that the body loses
an average of 1.75 milligrams of calcium
in the urine for every one gram increase
in animal protein ingested. Additionally,
as calcium and other minerals are leached
from our bones, they are deposited in the
kidneys and can form into painful kidney
stones. If a kidney stone becomes large
enough to cause a blockage, it stops the
flow of urine from the kidney and must be
removed by surgery or other methods.
Plant-based proteins, like those found in
soy, lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL
(the good) cholesterol. This prevents the
build up of arterial plaque which leads
to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
and heart disease, thus reducing the risk
of heart attack and stroke. The amount and
type of protein in your diet also has an
important impact on calcium absorption and
excretion. Vegetable-protein diets enhance
calcium retention in the body and result
in less excretion of calcium in the urine.
This reduces the risk of osteoporosis and
kidney problems. Interestingly, kidney disease
is far less common in people who eat a vegetable-based
diet than it is in people who eat an animal-based
diet. By replacing animal protein with vegetable
protein and replacing saturated fat with
unsaturated fat, like that found in olive
and canola oils, you can avoid the pitfalls
of the typical high-protein diet. You will
be able to improve your health and regulate
your weight while enjoying a vast array
of delicious, nutritionally dense, high
fiber foods.
Remember,
eat everything in moderation and nothing
in excess. Also, the only healthy way to
achieve permanent weight loss is to burn
more calories than you take in. Anything
else is just a gimmick.
Monique
N. Gilbert is a Health Advocate, Recipe
Developer,
Soy Food Connoisseur and the author of “Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook” (Universal Publishers). Contact her at monique@chef.net. |
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