A high protein, low carbs diet like the Atkins diet is by far the most popular diet. Some people say that carbohydrates are not necessary for people at because the body can obtain all its energy from protein and fats. However, the brain and neurons generally cannot burn fat and need glucose for energy. Do high protein diets work?

A study called A Randomized Trial of a Low-Carbohydrate Diet for Obesity did a controlled trial involving 63 obese men and women who were randomly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet or a low-calorie, high-carbohydrate, low-fat (conventional) diet. These were the results of this study:

The low-carbohydrate diet produced a greater weight loss (absolute difference, approximately 4 percent) than did the conventional diet for the first six months, but the differences were not significant at one year. The low-carbohydrate diet was associated with a greater improvement in some risk factors for coronary heart disease. Adherence was poor and attrition was high in both groups. Longer and larger studies are required to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diets.

As it turns out high protein, low carbs diet is not some kind of a miracle that makes losing weight easy. Carbohydrates are the body's preferred and most efficient energy source. It is very hard to stay on a very low carbohydrate diet for long periods and since high protein, low carbs diet is not significantly better then conventional high carbohydrate, low fat diet, then using this diet is not the best option. There is no strict formula that works for everyone. How much carbohydrates you should eat for optimal fat loss depends a lot on your body type.

The baseline diet of 50-55% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 15-20% fat is without a doubt the healthiest, most balanced way to eat. Eating 5-6 smaller meals a day, counting calories and aerobic exercise are far more important that some magic combination of macronutrient ratio.

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