When you walk into any bookstore, natural food store or read a trendy magazine, everything is screaming that a high protein diet can make you lose weight. There are many books and products out there that are claiming the success of eating a high protein diet and seeing immediate weight loss. These books and products are high on gimmicks and extremely low on facts about what it takes to eat healthy while trimming down. The simple fact is that weight loss is not based on how much of your diet is protein. Shedding pounds depends on how many calories you eat whether they are derived from proteins, carbohydrates or fats.
All calories are equal.
If you eat an excess of calories and do not burn them through exercise, or they are not used otherwise by the body, then they are simply stored as fat. According to research, a diet high in protein, especially animal protein, is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and some cancers. People who eat a high protein diet are usually also eating a diet high in fat and low in antioxidants, fiber, calcium and other beneficial nutrients. Eating a high protein diet puts you at risk for osteoporosis. Research indicates that eating a lot of protein increases the amount of calcium lost in the urine.