5 Side Effects of Eating High Protein
In the last few years, there have been a variety of popular diets which are built on the premise of incorporating large amounts of protein into your daily food intake. You would have heard of people seeing and feeling the results of the Atkins, Dukan, or other high protein programs which trade in simple carbs and fats for lean sources of protein like fish, eggs, and chicken breasts.
Though you’ll find that most people are following a high-protein diet plan for weight loss, there are other “side effects” which are less known, but no doubt as important. Some might actually be the motivation you need to jump on the high-protein bandwagon and start building your health!
- You Build Muscle
By no means will sticking to a high protein diet make you look like Popeye right away, however, if you are looking to maintain or build muscle mass, there’s no better way than by eating high protein. When people do traditional low-calorie diets, they risk losing strength, muscle tone and size, even when paired with exercising. On a high protein diet, you give your muscles the fuel they need to work and grow, while lowering your body fat percentage.
- Keep Your Sugar Levels…Level
Whenever you eat, your body produces insulin which transfers the energy of the food you consumed into something that your body can use. However, not all foods elicit the same response from the body. For example, when you eat something high in sugar or in carbohydrates, like a cupcake, you create a spike in your blood sugar. Foods high in protein or fat have a lower glycemic index, meaning that your blood doesn’t get immediately “flooded” with sugar. This lets you have a more consistent level of energy throughout the day and fewer “crashes” during which you get hungry and look for quick snacks. This is also an important consideration for those at risk or suffering from Type 2 Diabetes
- A Healthy Heart
If you or anyone in your family has ever suffered from heart disease, you will have heard about the benefits of a high-protein diet to heart health. That’s because it has low triglyceride and “bad” cholesterol levels, the main things to stay away from when battling heart disease. Keeping a healthy weight and level blood sugar are also recommendations for natural heart health management, something that the high protein diet definitely helps with as well.
- A Sharp Mind
Proteins are the building blocks for many important function in your body, from enzymes through neurotransmitters and hormones. Those who have limited protein intake will find it more difficult to focus, stay awake, and compute solution to problems you are faced with. A high-protein diet ensures that you are physically operating at the highest potential possible and producing all the amino acids your brain needs.
- Keep Your Bones Strong
It’s been hammered into our heads that calcium is needed to build strong bones, and that’s why kids are encouraged to eat and drink dairy which is known to have high levels of it. The great thing is that most high-protein foods are also high in calcium and other nutrients, meaning that eating a diet rich in it will help mend broken bones and deter conditions like osteoporosis.
If you are looking for a healthy and sustainable way to lose weight, high protein diet plans are certainly the way to go. Not only will you feel more full and happy than you would on a low-calorie diet, there are other “side effects” that benefit your health in the long run.
