Diet Novelties .com

…„Bacon, eggs, sausages and burgers may be behind some of the hottest weight-loss programs, but a new study suggests high-protein meals may spell trouble for women with mild kidney problems.Yet there is also some good news for the millions of Americans who have been experimenting with the wildly popular high-protein diets.

“For most individuals, we didn’t see a decline in kidney functioning,” said Dr. Eric Knight, one of the researchers behind the Brigham and Women’s Hospital study, which was published today.

Knight said protein-heavy diets do not appear to create kidney problems on their own, and could in fact prove beneficial for many dieters.

But the study of more than 1,600 middle-aged women — it included no men — found that those with pre-existing kidney troubles had their conditions worsen. Knight worries that the 20 million American men and women who suffer from chronic kidney disease could set themselves up for severe health problems, possibly even death, if they follow such weight-loss programs.

The study, which followed earlier research that raised a question about potential kidney damage, adds yet another layer of confusion to the debate over high-protein diets, the best known of which is the Atkins diet.

Although the diets have been around for decades, there is still little long-term, independent research to substantiate claims that they are healthful — or harmful.

Indeed, a study on the Atkins diet last July was the first to be published on the diet in more than two decades. Dr. Eric Westman, research director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, said the study determined the diet does lead to a “significant and sustained” reduction in weight, but drew no conclusions about long-term health benefits or risks.

“There’s no question in our minds that the diet can lead to weight loss,” Westman said.

Westman startled the scientific community last November with another finding, that the Atkins diet may actually be better for cholesterol levels than low-fat diets. But Westman, whose research was financed by the Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation, cautions against anyone actually going on the Atkins program, which initially calls for mass consumption of protein — upward of 70 grams a day — and a restriction on the intake of fruits.

“We’re not convinced about its safety yet,” Westman said. “And we still don’t know if it’s the best way to lose weight.”

As scientists have started to take a closer look at protein programs, however, a clearer picture of who shouldn’t try the diets has begun to emerge.

Atkins spokeswoman Colette Heimowitz said she would be the first to admit that high-protein diets are not meant for pregnant or nursing mothers. Some scientists also have concerns about diabetics and heart-disease patients going on such programs without their doctors’ knowledge or consent.

Today’s study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic kidney disease should avoid high-protein diets.

“I wouldn’t go on the high-protein diet unless you were very young or very healthy,” said Jo Ann Hattner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “I don’t want to frighten people that are on it, but I think there is a cautionary sign. You don’t want to do your body more harm than good, so it would be good to review your particular history with your physician before you go on it.”

Researchers responsible for today’s study agreed, citing the prevalence of kidney dysfunction in America and the fact that many people who have the health problem don’t yet realize it.

In fact, the scientists found that one-quarter of the women studied suffered from kidney disorders, which were worsened by eating large amounts of protein.

The study did not involve any one high-protein diet. But women with kidney dysfunction who ate more protein experienced more renal decline than those who ate less. And animal protein, as opposed to that from nuts and beans, appeared to be the biggest culprit.

Yet some people on high-protein diets seem to believe they’re given regular carte blanche to feast on double-double hamburgers with cheese, and for breakfast no less.

“They’re eating steak and eggs and sausages and bacon. That’s the wrong source of protein,” said Dr. John P. Cooke, an associate professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University.

The high-protein diets seem to fly in the face of conventional wisdom, which has long dictated that low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets are best at boosting heart health while keep the waistline trim.

But Westman, who presented his research last winter at an annual scientific meeting of the American Heart Association, found just the opposite. People on a low-fat diet recommended by the heart association did not see the same improvements in cholesterol levels that Atkins dieters did. And those on the Atkins plan lost more weight and were better able to stick to their diet plan, he said.

“I say, ‘Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,’” said Laura Croker, 33, a corporate communications specialist at IBM who has been on the diet since last July.

Croker had watched her father lose 60 pounds on the diet and her mother lose 30 when she decided to try it herself before going on a beach vacation.

“I’ve spent 10 years on a low-fat diet, avoiding bacon like the plague, avoiding fried foods,” the Los Gatos resident said. “But every year I’ve gained a few pounds.”

Until now. She has since lost 10 pounds on her diet of “meat, meat, meat and meat.” And she’s seen her cholesterol levels and body fat percentages go down in the process.

Tales like hers have spurred interest in high-protein diets, even though scientists and physicians still have their concerns about the potential for health risks.

The Atkins diet “turns what you think is common wisdom on its ear,” Croker said. “I still have a lot of friends who think I’m nuts.” …”