Weighing the Risks of a Long-Term High-Protein Diet

Q: My son has been on the Atkins diet for a year. He has lost plenty of weight—44 pounds—and has reached his target. He sometimes eats normally, is very healthy, and is a sensible young man. However, I am concerned and would like to know if there are harmful long-term health consequences from this diet.

A: Since your son has met his weight loss target, he’s probably on the lifetime maintenance phase of the Atkins diet. This means an individualized plan that emphasizes healthier food choices and regular exercise. While still more restrictive in terms of his daily intake of carbohydrates and fiber, long-term studies have yet to prove detrimental health effects from this specific phase of his diet. That said, it is best to meet with a registered dietician, as well as his physician, for the best advice tailored to your son’s health history and nutritional needs.

The Atkins diet plan, especially in its early phases, can help with short-term weight loss. However, it is very restrictive and limits the total amount of food types such as grains, vegetables, fruits and milk products.

Potential side effects include but are not limited to: bad breath, weakness, muscle cramps, constipation and headaches. And, due to its high-protein nature, those with chronic kidney disease (one in six Americans over the age of 20 may be affected) would do best to try another approach. Additionally, the option to eat a high animal protein and fatty diet is concerning for many reasons, including the long-term health of the heart and cardiovascular system.

However, this plan does encourage better choices, meaning the sources of protein can be salmon, lean chicken and others not dripping with unhealthy fats—especially trans-fats. Also, the plan discourages poor food choices such as the simple carbohydrates found in highly processed baked goods. But is this a good long-term plan? That's still unclear.

In choosing a diet, it is important to know that any restrictive or focused plan—whether high-protein and low-carbohydrate (Atkins, etc.), low-protein and high-complex carbohydrate, very low-calorie, or others—may exclude important nutrients or food groups that are needed for a healthy mind and body. The key is balancing the health risks of obesity versus the health risks of the chosen diet. If nutritional deficiencies are known to exist with the chosen plan, supplemental vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients may be needed.

Your son has done exceedingly well in reaching his target weight. But going forward, can he keep those pounds from piling back on? The most important long-term goal is to find a plan that works for him, while also providing the nutritional balance needed for the rest of his life.

In his case, it seems a modified version of the Atkins diet has done a good job. To me, this reinforces the fact that everyone is different and there is no one set plan for all. Individual modifications that include a more active lifestyle, keeping total calories in check, and healthier food choices, provide a blueprint for success.

For further information, check out the web sites of the American Dietetic Association and the American Heart Association.

To get the latest update on clinical trials studying high protein diets in the treatment of obesity, go to www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Search on MSN: The Atkins Diet

Find More on MSN Health & Fitness:

• Low-Carb Diets
• The Skinny on Popular Diets
• 10 Friendly Reminders for the Low-Carb Dieter

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Robert Danoff, D.O., M.S., is a family physician and program director of The Family Practice Residency, as well as the combined Family Practice/Emergency Medicine Residency programs at Frankford Hospitals, Jefferson Health System, Philadelphia, Pa. He is the medical correspondent for CN8, The Comcast Network, a regular contributor to Discovery Health Online and a contributing writer to The New York Times Special Features. (Read his full bio.)