New insights into high protein eating

Wednesday January 4th, 2012

Putting on weight by eating protein may be healthier than putting on weight by eating calories from other sources, researchers claimed last night.

A new study claims that it is mainly calories that lead to increases in body fat.

The US based study sought to study the effects of "fattening" volunteers with high protein diets.

Researchers found that volunteers fed a low protein, high calorie diet lost lean body mass - mainly muscle - but gained fat.

Three groups of volunteers were fattened over an eight week period with three diet combinations. Each diet gave the volunteers an extra 954 calories a day, leading to gains of more than a stone (6.5 kg) in those eating a high protein diet - but about half that much among those on a low protein diet.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers say all the groups put on the same amount of body fat - but those on a low protein diet put on less weight overall because of their loss of lean body mass.

Researcher Dr George Bray, of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA, said: "The key finding of this study is that calories are more important than protein while consuming excess amounts of energy with respect to increases in body fat."

Writing in the journal, Dr Zhaoping Li and Dr David Heber, of the University of California, Los Angeles, say the findings highlight the significance of measuring quantity of body fat.

They write: "Clinicians should consider assessing a patient's overall fatness rather than simply measuring body weight or body mass index and concentrate on the potential complications of excess fat accumulation.

"The goals for obesity treatment should involve fat reduction rather than simply weight loss, along with a better understanding of nutrition science."

JAMA. 2012;307[1]:86-87

Tags: Diet & Food | North America

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