High Protein diet helpful in Weight loss

Middle-aged women on a high-protein diet as against those on a low-protein diet shed more weight during a period of one year, the researchers from Australia concluded.

Main investigator Dr. Peter M. Clifton of Adelaide University, however does not know whether the result was due to the protein or calorie restriction followed by these women.

He added, irrespective of the protein levels, even minuscule quantities of weight loss over a period of a year saw significant reduction in lipid levels.

Those women who lost weight showed an average 20% hike in high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or the “good” cholesterol, as reported by Clifton and colleagues at CSIRO Human Nutrition.

The researchers studied the long-term effect of a high-protein diet on weight loss and weight maintenance in 72 obese but healthy women, with an average age of 49 years. They started with an strenuous 12-week weight loss diet, and went on an equivalent diet for another 52 weeks.

Both the diets were high-protein – 34% calories from protein - or high carbohydrate diet – 64% from carbohydrates. Fat gave 20% of the calories in both diets, the researchers reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

After computing protein levels in the diet records the subject for the entire 64-week study period, the researchers determined those eating the highest amount of protein daily saw an average weight loss of 6.5 kilograms (14.3 pounds). As against this, those who ate the least amounts of protein saw an average weight loss of 3.4 kilograms (7.5 pounds).

Bu adherence to the diets was poor as time passed. So the researchers then assessed V for the entire group and concluded that protein still directly led to weight loss, but not with better blood lipid values.

A higher protein diet does have some weight loss benefits, the researchers concluded, but long term weight loss does have health benefits, irrespective of the kind of diet.