Popular protein diets may increase the risk of death in middle-aged people with risk factors for heart disease, warn Spanish researchers, whose conclusions are published by HealthDay.
Researchers at the Institut d’Investigació Sanitaria Pere Virgili in Reus, Catalonia, looked at data on over 7 people over 55 who have not been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease but have had type 2 diabetes or at least three of the risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, overweight, obesity, or a history of early family history of heart disease. The diet in the last five years was analyzed on the basis of questionnaires filled in by participants.
Scientists observed that reducing carbohydrate in the diet in favor of protein was associated with a 90 percent increased risk of weight gain. and an increase in the overall risk of death by 59%. In the case of a diet consisting of replacing fats with protein, the risk of death increased by 66%.
Our research shows the negative side of using protein diets to quickly lose unnecessary kilograms. The long-term effectiveness and safety of such diets deserve more attention, says the author of the analysis, Monica Bullo.