Increased protein consumption during calorie restriction- a good Weight loss strategy

Increasing dietary protein under calorie restriction (CR) improves quality of food and may be another cause of decreased lean body mass (LBM), although further research is needed, says an article published in Obesity Journal.

Higher protein consumption during weight reduction is related to better health outcomes, however it is unknown if this is due to improved food quality. As a result, Anna R. Ogilvie and colleagues undertook this study to investigate how changes in self-selected protein consumption during calorie restriction affect food quality and lean body mass.

207 people with overweight or obesity were studied before and during 6 months of CR (about 10 food records/person) in this analysis of pooled data from numerous weight reduction studies. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to determine body composition. The Healthy Eating Index was used to measure diet quality in two groups: those with higher (HP) and lower (LP) protein intake.

The key findings of this study were as follow:

1. The participants shed 5.0% (5.4%) of their body weight.

2. Protein consumption was 79 (9) g/d (1.0 [0.2] g/kg/d) in the HP group and 58 (6) g/d (0.8 [0.1] g/kg/d) in the LP group (p 0.05), with the HP group losing less LBM (kilogrammes).

3. The higher Healthy Eating Index score in the HP group compared to the LP group was linked to higher total protein and green vegetable intake and lower refined grain and added sugar intake (p 0.05).

4. Individuals who were overweight or obese enhanced the effectiveness of their diet more when they consumed more protein (79 g/d) than when they consumed less protein (58 g/d).

5. Participants who self-select a diet with higher protein consumption during CR, as opposed to lower intake, reduced their intake of low- or zero-protein items, such as refined grains and added sugar, and increased their intake of green vegetables.

6. Increased protein intake and improved food quality during CR reduced LBM loss.

In conclusion, a modestly greater protein consumption during calorie restriction may enhance nutritional quality and be a strategy for reducing LBM loss during weight reduction. More prospective studies, however, are required.

Reference:

Ogilvie, A. R., Schlussel, Y., Sukumar, D., Meng, L., & Shapses, S. A. (2022). Higher protein intake during caloric restriction improves diet quality and attenuates loss of lean body mass. In Obesity. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23428