Protein Power is a high-protein, low carbohydrate

fad diet A fad diet is a diet that becomes popular for a short time, similar to fads in fashion, without being a standard dietary recommendation, and often making unreasonable claims for fast weight loss or health improvements. There is no single defini ...

developed by physician Michael R. Eades and his wife Mary Dan Eades.

Overview

The Eades promoted the diet in their book ''Protein Power: The High-Protein/Low Carbohydrate Way to Lose Weight, Feel Fit, and Boost Your Health-in Just Weeks!'', first published in 1996. The idea behind Protein Power is that reducing the intake of carbohydrates will reduce the amount of insulin released into the body. According to the diet, insulin controls the storage of fat which is triggered by the intake of carbohydrates. Protein Power promotes an animal-based diet rich in

red meat In gastronomy, red meat is commonly red when raw and a dark color after it is cooked, in contrast to white meat, which is pale in color before and after cooking. In culinary terms, only flesh from mammals or fowl (not fish) is classified as ...

and

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

. The claims of the diet have not been scientifically demonstrated. Protein Power has been described as a fad diet and

pseudoscientific Pseudoscience consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that claim to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method. Pseudoscience is often characterized by contradictory, exaggerated or unfalsifiable claim ...

.Stare, Fredrick John; Whelan, Elizabeth M. (1998). ''Protein Power by Michael R. Eades, M.D., and Mary Dan Eades, M.D.'' In ''Fad-Free Nutrition''. Hunter House Inc. pp. 205-207. Margolis, Simeon. (2005). ''High-Protein Diets''. In ''The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50''. Black Dog & Leventhal. p. 41. High-protein diets such as Protein Power may bring about temporary weight loss via

calorie restriction Calorie restriction (caloric restriction or energy restriction) is a dietary regimen that reduces intake of energy from caloric foods & beverages without incurring malnutrition. "Reduce" can be defined relative to the subject's previous intake be ...

but are not effective for permanent weight control.

Criticism

Nutritionists Fredrick J. Stare and Elizabeth Whelan criticized the diet as "too lopsided to be healthful" and the Eades for assembling their own "facts" into an "antiscience hypothesis". They noted that "At a time when many years of scientific research are beginning to establish the unequivocal association between plant foods and disease prevention, it strikes us as unconscionable for two medical doctors to be striking out in the opposite direction." In 2001, the

American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and death ...

’s Nutrition Committee issued a strong recommendation against high-protein diets including Protein Power and the

Atkins diet The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate fad diet devised by Robert Atkins in the 1970s, marketed with claims that carbohydrate restriction is crucial to weight loss and that the diet offered "a high calorie way to stay thin forever". The diet be ...

. The committee noted potential health risks of high-protein diets and how there are no long-term scientific studies to support their efficacy and safety. Protein Power restricts healthful foods such as beans and

whole grain A whole grain is a grain of any cereal and pseudocereal that contains the endosperm, germ, and bran, in contrast to refined grains, which retain only the endosperm. As part of a general healthy diet, consumption of whole grains is associated w ...

s, it also lacks in

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to ...

. The diet is hard to follow in the long term and disadvantages include poor stamina and

ketosis Ketosis is a metabolic state characterized by elevated levels of ketone bodies in the blood or urine. Physiological ketosis is a normal response to low glucose availability, such as low-carbohydrate diets or fasting, that provides an additional ...

.Roth, Ruth A; Wehrle, Kathy L. (2018). ''Nutrition & Diet Therapy''. Cengage Learning. p. 260. The high-protein content may be a strain on the kidney and medical experts recommend that individuals with

chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vo ...

avoid the diet.Byham-Gray, Laura D; Burrowes, Jerrilynn D. Chertow, Glenn M. (2008). ''Nutrition in Kidney Disease''. Humana Press. p. 150. The diet is high in

saturated fat A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds. A fat known as a glyceride is made of two kinds of smaller molecules: a short glycerol backbone and fatty acids that each contain a long linear or branched c ...

and total fat. High-protein low-carbohydrate diets like Protein Power that are high in animal protein and lack fiber, minerals and vitamins may increase the risk of

coronary heart disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves the reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle due to build-up of atherosclerotic pla ...

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

and

osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone fragility, and consequent increase in fracture risk. It is the most common reason for a broken bone ...

.Hoeger, Wener; Hoeger, Sharon. (2007). ''Fitness and Wellness''. Thomson Learning, Inc. p. 130. Negative effects of the diet include

bad breath Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a symptom in which a noticeably unpleasant breath odour is present. It can result in anxiety among those affected. It is also associated with depression and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder. Th ...

constipation Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel movement ...

fatigue Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

and

nausea Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...

References

{{Low-carbohydrate diets Fad diets High-protein diets Low-carbohydrate diets

Overview

Criticism

See also

References