New versions of low carb, high protein diets are always appearing on bestseller lists, and every new low carb diet claims to have the perfect combination of low carbohydrate high protein meals that will allow you to shed weight like a duck sheds water.

Protein Low Carb

The diets claim that you can lose weight quickly with no effort. They seem like they're the new miracle diet. What's not to love? Why shouldn't we all rush out and buy a low carb diet book right now?

Protein Low Carb

Because they have numerous unpleasant, sometimes dangerous side effects and because numerous scientific studies show that they DON'T WORK long term - that's why! Yes, just like with any diet, you will lose weight in the short term, but with a low carb high protein diet you will risk damaging your health and then the pounds will pile right back on as soon as you go back to eating normally.

Here are some of the unpleasant side effects that you will suffer if you stick to a low carb high protein diet:

1. High protein diets force people to enter a state of ketosis (burning ketones) which means they are excreting acetone in their urine and breath. This causes very bad breath.

2. Dizziness, as your body's energy stores are depleted.

3. Ketosis can cause nausea.

4. Many low carb dieters report severe headaches caused by ketosis.

5. High risk of kidney stones because of an increased "acid load" in the kidneys caused by ketosis.

6. Constant cravings for sweets.

7. Exhaustion, because you are not consuming enough carbohydrates, which your body uses for energy. Which means that you won't have enough stamina to exercise, which means you are not building muscle or aerobic capacity.

8. Low carb dieters gain all of their weight back! At a presentation of the Endocrine Society's national meeting, a study revealed that after two years, only five percent of low carb dieters kept all of their weight off.

But don't despair! There are alternatives to low carb diets, which are safe and healthy and effective.

Why Low Carb Diets Suck

Protein Low Carb