WHY HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET HELPS TO LOSE WEIGHT!!!

In my previous blog I have discussed about why long term fasting or starving is a unhealthy way of losing weight. In this blog I would like to discuss why HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET is a healthy way of losing weight!!

When a person follows HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET, low carbohydrate content in the diet will not provide sufficient glucose needed by the cells specially for red blood cells and neurons. These cells are heavily dependent on glucose for their metabolic needs. When there is no sufficient glucose available from diet this leads to low blood glucose level which decreases insulin (hypoglycemic hormone) and increases glucagon (hyperglycemic hormone).

Elevated glucagon will try to maintain the normal blood glucose level. Generally glucagon will initially breakdown glycogen stored in the liver to release glucose into blood stream. Since the person on HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET will have minimal glycogen stores because to maintain sufficient glycogen stores one need to consume carbohydrate rich diet. So when glycogen stores are minimal in a person who follow HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET so the next source of glucose for glucagon is the protein!!

Generally under prolonged fasting conditions and during starvation glucagon will breakdown skeletal muscle protein and release amino acids. Most of these amino acids will be converted to amino acid alanine and get converted glucose by a process called gluconeogenesis!! Now the point here is when a person is on HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET the protein required for this gluconeogenesis under the influence of glucagon will be provided by the dietary protein. This will spare skeletal muscle protein being degraded!! So dietary protein is converted glucose by gluconeogenesis in the liver and released into the blood stream which will be used by red blood cells and neurons.

Now how this will help to burn fat from adipose tissue and help to lose weight!! To make one glucose molecule from protein derived amino acid alanine liver cell needs 6 ATPs!! Liver cell will get these ATPs from the electron transport chain which will use reducing equivalents like NADH + H and FADH2. Majority of these NADH+ H and FADH2 will come from fatty acid oxidation.

When a person is on HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET so there is less fatty acid coming from the diet hence to meet energy needs for gluconeogenesis fatty acids from adipose tissue will be utilized. How adipose tissue will release its fatty acids stored as triglycerides? Note that under low glucose conditions glucagon that is released apart from keeping gluconeogenesis process active will also break adipose tissue (lipolysis) by activating an enzyme called hormone sensitive lipase. This enzyme breaks triglycerides in adipose tissue and release fatty acids.

Fatty acids released from adipose tissue along with the glycerol molecule will be carried to the liver and fatty acids will undergo oxidation to release acetyl CoA and reducing equivalents (NADH and FADH2). Further more acetyl CoA will undergo citric acid cycle to release more NADH and FADH2. These NADH and FADH2 will get into electron transport chain to make ATPs. The ATPs generated here will provide ATPs needed for gluconeogenesis.

In this way HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET will lead to increased levels of glucagon in the body which will keep gluconeogenesis and lipolysis active. Gluconeogenesis will utilize protein to make glucose and the energy needed to make this glucose by gluconeogenesis is provided by fatty acid breakdown which comes from adipose tissue.

Overall, HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET will break adipose tissue (white fat beneath the skin) to provide energy needed to generate glucose from dietary proteins while maintaining the skeletal muscle mass. This type of diet supplemented with fruits and vegetables will help to lose weight in a healthy way!!!

I hope this article has helped you to understand scientific reasoning why HIGH PROTEIN LOW CARB LOW FAT DIET supplemented with fruits and vegetables is an healthy way of losing weight!!! If are most welcome to leave your comments or questions.