Macro partitioning
A 2-year low-carbohydrate high-protein (LCHP) diet does not cause harmful effects on glomerular filtration rate (GFR), albuminuria, or electrolyte balance in healthy obese individuals compared to a low-fat diet, despite inducing glomerular hyperfiltration.
If you are obese but have healthy kidneys (no diabetes or high blood pressure), you can follow a low-carb, high-protein diet for weight loss without fearing kidney damage. While your kidneys will filter more blood (hyperfiltration) and you may urinate more, this is a normal physiological response to high protein and does not lead to kidney disease in healthy people over a 2-year period.
In healthy obese individuals, a low-carbohydrate high-protein weight-loss diet over 2 years was not associated with noticeably harmful effects on GFR, albuminuria, or fluid and electrolyte balance compared with a low-fat diet.
Why this rating
Randomized controlled trial with a large sample size (n=307) and long duration (24 months), but surrogate markers for GFR were used.
Source
Comparative Effects of Low-Carbohydrate High-Protein Versus Low-Fat Diets on the Kidney
Allon N. Friedman et al. · Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2012
DOI 10.2215/cjn.11741111
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →