A protein diet is a slimming diet that is based on protein products. Protein diet effectively slims and cleanses the body. According to the creators, the protein diet allows you to avoid the yo-yo effect. What allows you to eat a protein diet?

Contents:

  1. What is a protein diet?
  2. Principles of a protein diet
  3. What to eat on a protein diet?
  4. How much protein do you eat each day?
  5. Does a protein diet help you lose weight?
  6. Protein diet and muscle growth
  7. Protein diet - is it he althy?

What is a protein diet?

There is no single protein diet. A protein diet is any eating pattern or diet plan that involves eating more protein with meals than is recommended by important nutrition organizations. The Polish Food and Nutrition Institute recommends that proteins provide an average of 10-20% of energy in a daily menu.

In a high-protein diet, protein makes up more than 20% of the calories in the nutritional plan, and in a very high-protein diet, over 30%. When increasing the proportion of protein in the diet, the amount of carbohydrates and / or fat is additionally reduced, or the amount of carbohydrates is significantly reduced, and at the same time the fat content is increased.

The most widely varied and rational protein diet consists of 25-30% protein, 40-45% carbohydrates and up to 30% fat. Protein diets include fashionable and well-known diets, including:

• Paleo (eating in the style of pre-agrarian ancestors), • Dukana (a diet very popular a few years ago with a huge proportion of protein), • Zone (proteins, fats and carbohydrates distributed more or less evenly), • Atkinsa (with a high proportion of fat and protein), • MIND (combination of well-documented diets: Mediterranean and DASH), • South Beach (a ready-made slimming plan with increased protein content and reduced carbohydrates), • nutritional plans consisting of ready-made meal replacements: soups, cocktails , bars, etc.

Principles of a protein diet

Protein belongs to the three basic macronutrients of the diet, next to carbohydrates and fats. It performs many extremely important functions in the body. It is a building block of every cell of the body, participates in gene expression and synthesishormones and enzymes, the work of the immune system and many other processes.

A person's need for protein is strictly dependent on age, he alth and physical activity. A protein diet is based on consuming more protein than the values ​​recommended for the average adult.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein according to the Nutrition Standards for the Polish Population of 2022 is 0.9 g per kilogram of body weight for adult women and men with moderate physical activity, which is about 10% of the energy in the daily diet. In protein diets this value is exceeded 2-3 times.

Protein diets are recommended in conditions that are associated with greater breakdown of protein and the need for its supplementation. They are recommended:

• in disease states, especially in cancer, where tissue regeneration is needed, • for people who engage in regular physical activity, whose higher protein requirements are associated with muscle damage after training, • for people who are slimming, because it has been scientifically proven that a greater proportion of protein in the diet promotes the loss of excess body weight.

It must be remembered that the demand for protein is higher during intensive growth and development, in old age, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. In addition, new research suggests that for optimal he alth, adults should get at least 1 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. Protein diets should not be used by people with diagnosed renal failure and advanced gout.

The protein diet does not impose any special restrictions and can be easily adapted to your preferences. Eating the right amount of protein is key. Other issues, such as the selection of products or methods of preparing meals, are individual and flexible.

The amount of protein in the diet should usually be from 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, which for a person weighing 70 kg is 84 to 112 g per day. On a protein diet, you eat 4-5 meals a day, each of which contains protein. Breaking down this macronutrient over several meals instead of eating, for example, two large portions, results in better use of amino acids by the body.

Scientific research shows that the best results in losing weight, building muscle mass and overall he alth improvement are achieved by eating 20-30 g of protein in a meal. Eating more than 30 g of protein in a meal does not result in more intensive muscle protein synthesis.

People who do not know how much protein each food contains should start by calculating their needs forprotein and a food diary that allows you to see how much of this macronutrient you actually eat.

Nutritional smartphone applications or calculators available on websites are very helpful in this regard. It is worth emphasizing here that saving meals and controlling the protein eaten is only a temporary solution, until we learn to estimate how much we ate. Unless you are a professional athlete, a few grams more or less don't really make a difference.

Protein in the diet should come from both animal and vegetable sources. Animal protein contains all the essential amino acids and therefore has a higher biological value than vegetable protein. The high quality of the food we choose is very important.

You should focus on eating as natural as possible, with the lowest possible degree of processing. In addition to products that provide proteins, vegetables and, to a lesser extent, fruit are the key element of the diet. Plant products should appear at every meal.

What to eat on a protein diet?

Good sources of protein recommended when following a protein diet are:

• poultry, • lean beef, such as sirloin, ligawa, • lean pork, such as ham, sirloin, pork loin, • high-quality cold cuts and other meat products, • fish, • eggs, • cottage cheese, • cottage cheese, • cheese, • protein supplements.

Plant sources of protein are:

• legume seeds: soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas, • nuts, • almonds, • seeds, e.g. pumpkin and sunflower seeds, • to a lesser extent quinoa, coarse groats and whole grain cereals .

In the protein diet, vegetables or fruits (with a clear predominance of vegetables) should appear in every meal. All types are allowed. The diet should include sources of he althy fats (olive oil, raw rapeseed oil, butter, coconut oil, nuts, seeds, avocados) and complex carbohydrates (groats, rice, cereals, wholemeal pasta, wholemeal bread).

Their proportions will depend on the choice of the type of protein diet - high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and preferably optimal for your body.

Products not recommended on a protein diet are the same as in he althy eating. First of all, you should avoid highly processed and poor quality food. Store sweets, donuts, buns, crisps, sticks, crackers, ready meals, cream cheese, hard margarines, powdered soups and sauces, pates, low-quality sausages and preserves, cold cuts and sausages with a meat content below 90% and with the addition of nitrites and polyphosphates.

How much protein do you eatevery day?

Food itemPortion sizeProtein content
Grilled beef sirloin2 slices, 105 g31 g
Grilled skinless chicken breast1 piece, 130 g39 g
Turkey, white roast meat2 slices, 140 g47 g
Cooked cod1 fillet, 120 g25 g
Canned tuna in its own sauce100 g24 g
Cottage cheesePackage, 200 g22 g
Natural yoghurtSmall cup, 150 g8 g
Egg1 piece size L7 g
Peanuts1 handful, 50 g12 g
Walnuts1 handful, 50 g7 g
sunflower seeds2 tablespoons, 32 g6 g
Lentils cooked3 tablespoons, 45 g4.5 g
TofuHalf pack, 100 g8 g
Wholemeal bread2 slices, 76 g6 g
Cooked white rice1 bowl, 180 g5 g

Does a protein diet help you lose weight?

It is scientifically proven that a high-protein diet can help you lose weight. Consuming a protein-rich meal triggers a cascade of nervous system and brain responses that lead to rapid and long-lasting satiety. The feeling of satiety is also influenced by the complicated structure of proteins, which means that they are digested slowly and remain in the digestive tract for a relatively long time.

Eating a high protein meal allows you to eat smaller portions and provide fewer calories compared to a carbohydrate predominant meal. Protein from all nutrients causes the strongest postprandial thermogenesis, i.e. a periodic increase in the rate of metabolism and energy consumption by the body All this enables easier weight control and more effective weight loss.

High-protein diets, compared to others, allow you to lose more fat while maintaining muscle mass. This is important because muscle mass is metabolically active. The more muscles we have, the more calories we use for all activities.

There is no doubt that diets with a reduced calorie content and a high proportion of protein allow you to lose weight effectively over time.several months. More research is needed to confirm their long-term effectiveness. The best results in weight loss are achieved when protein makes up about 30% of the total energy in the diet, and a high-protein diet is combined with a limited carbohydrate intake of 30-40%.

  • A meta-analysis of 87 studies most commonly lasting up to 12 weeks found that consuming protein above 1.05 g / kg of current body weight preserves 0.6 - 1.2 kg more muscle mass compared to diets with lower proportion of protein. The combination of a high-protein diet with a carbohydrate restriction of 35-41% gave the best results in fat loss: from 2 kg to 5.6 kg more than on other diets.
  • The Diogenes study conducted throughout Europe, in addition to its effectiveness, compared the ease of use and the amount of giving up weight loss during diets: high-protein, low-protein, with a low glycemic index, with a high glycemic index. The smallest number of people gave up weight loss on a high protein and low GI diet.
  • One meta-analysis of 18 studies found that people who lose weight in their 50s retain much more muscle mass with high-protein diets.

Protein diet and muscle growth

Lifestyle associated with physical exercise at least 2-3 times a week requires increasing the proportion of protein in the diet. This is due to the need to maintain a positive nitrogen balance (when working on muscle gain) or at least avoid a negative balance so as not to lose muscle.

Muscle proteins break down during activity and for their regeneration a higher supply of white in meals is necessary. According to the recommendations, endurance trainers need 1.4 g of protein / kg body weight, and strength training - 2 g / kg body weight

  • A small, randomized, double-blind study assessed protein requirements in the early stages of intense bodybuilding training. It was found that athletes achieved a nitrogen balance of zero with a protein intake of 1.4-1.5 g / kg b.w. Therefore, for the growth of muscle mass and strength, it is necessary to consume more protein with appropriate training.
  • 39 adults were divided into 3 groups who consumed a protein level of 0.8; 1.6 and 2.4 g / kg b.w. It was found that the muscle anabolic response (increased muscle protein synthesis) followed a protein-rich meal on a 1.6 and 2.4 g protein / kg diet
  • In a 2014 study, the effects of a diet with protein at the level of 1.8 g / kg bw were compared. and 4.4 g / kg b.w. atwell-trained men and women who regularly play sports. Based on the observation of body weight, adipose tissue mass, percentage of adipose tissue and muscle mass, it was found that the intake of very large amounts of protein did not bring any additional effects in training and body composition compared to the dose of 1.8 g / kg bw
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Protein diet - is it he althy?

  • Protein diet and osteoporosis

A high proportion of protein in the diet is associated with increased "acidification" due to the presence of sulfuric amino acids, which are not completely neutralized in the kidneys. Calcium is leached from the bones to neutralize the acidic charge. This condition can promote bone decalcification and osteoporosis. Research shows that in areas with high dairy consumption, more people suffer from osteoporosis.

It seems, however, that the problem of calcium retention only affects high dairy consumption. Numerous studies have shown that meat proteins promote bone restoration, while this effect is absent for milk proteins and soy protein.

More and more specialists say that a high proportion of protein in the diet (mainly from meat) improves intestinal calcium absorption, increases GF-1 levels and lowers parathyroid hormone levels, sufficiently effectively compensating for any negative effects of increasing acidity.

Based on recent research findings, eating protein (including meat) higher than currently recommended is beneficial for calcium use and bone he alth, especially in the elderly. A high-protein diet with adequate calcium (not necessarily dairy), fruit and vegetables is important for bone he alth and prevention of osteoporosis.

  • Protein diet and kidney damage

Digesting a large amount of proteins is associated with the increased work of the kidneys, which filter the products of their breakdown. In the era of the popularity of the extremely high-protein Dukan diet, you could often hear about cases of people who were hospitalized with kidney failure.

Scientific research shows that "rational" protein consumption, i.e. eating a variety of foods, not just meat andcottage cheese, does not damage the kidneys and does not impair their work. It has also been found that the gradual increase in the proportion of protein in the diet results in good kidney adaptation.

One study showed that no negative effects were recorded in markers of kidney function such as urea, creatinine and albumin up to a protein consumption of 2.8 g / kg body weight. Larger amounts may contribute to the formation of kidney stones and gout.

  • Protein diet and cardiovascular diseases

The suspicion that a high protein diet may be associated with an increased risk of heart attack and worsening of the lipid profile stems from the theory that saturated fatty acids present in animal products raise blood cholesterol levels.

It is now known that this theory is a medical myth, and the consumption of saturated fat does not significantly increase the risk of heart disease. Research on the relationship between a protein diet and lipid profile and the risk of heart disease shows conflicting results.

  • Protein diet and the risk of colorectal cancer

There is information that consumption of red meat is associated with a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. Large food safety and he alth organizations emphasize that the relationship is unclear.

Increasingly, in scientific circles, it is also emphasized that the risk of cancer is associated with the consumption of meat products that are preserved with sodium nitrite, and not meat at all.

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