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High Protein Diets Pile On More Pounds? Yes, but…

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

The Managing Editor of ABC News Medical Unit emailed me yesterday, asking for help understanding a new study on high protein diets.  In the study, the researchers put people on high-calorie diets ranging from 5 to 25% protein. They expected to find that the people on the high-protein diets would gain less fat.  In fact, all three groups gained the same amount of fat. But the researchers were also surprised to find that those on the low-protein diet gained less weight.

“I am having trouble figuring out if low protein is a good thing thing or a bad thing according to this study,” he wrote. “Isn’t it good that it lead to [less weight gain] than high protein? I am not sure what message there is for the public.”

Here’s my answer:

First, remember this study involved purposely over-feeding people in order to make them gain weight, so it’s not directly relevant to people who are restricting calories in order to lose or maintain their weight.  (And, as an aside, people who eat more protein often end up eating fewer calories because protein tends to be more satiating.)

See also: How to Eat Less Without Feeling Hungry

Secondly, the subjects all gained similar amounts of body fat, which is exactly what you would expect when people eat more calories than they burn..the excess is stored as fat.

The key finding in my mind is that the people on the higher protein diet gained lean muscle tissue (in addition to fat) and the people on the lower protein diet lost lean muscle tissue.  That explains why the high protein group gained more weight. But it does not mean that they ended up worse off.  In fact, you could argue that the increase in muscle tissue (and the corresponding increase in metabolism) in the high protein group partially offsets the negative impact of the fat gain.

As I commented to Roger, I think there are two take-home messages for the public, neither of which is particularly new:

1.  Too many calories will lead to an increase in stored fat, no matter what the source of those calories.
2. Higher-protein diets appear to promote (or at least preserve) lean muscle tissue and that’s generally a good thing.

And one important take-home message for the scientific community.

3. BMI (weight) doesn’t tell the whole story. When evaluating the effects of different diets on health, you need to take body composition (percentages of body fat and lean muscle) into consideration as well.  In this study, if you only looked at the change in BMI, you’d conclude that the high-protein diet did more damage than the low-protein diet. But when you look at the changes in lean body tissue and fat, it appears to be just the opposite. If I weigh more but have less fat and more muscle, I’m probably better off than someone who weighs less but has more fat.

Related content: How Much Protein Should You Eat?

How is Alcohol Metabolized?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Quick and Dirty Nutrition Tips from Monica Reinagel

We’ll be ringing in a new year soon and I daresay a few glasses of champagne or other spirits will be enjoyed by many Nutrition Over Easy readers. So this seems like the perfect time to address some of the lore about alcohol and nutrition. For example, is it a good idea to eat a big meal if you’re going to be drinking? If you’ve over-indulged, can certain foods ward off a hangover? Is it true that alcohol is metabolized into sugar or that it blocks your body’s ability to burn fat? Answers to these and other frequently asked questions about alcohol—along with my tips on how to indulge safely—are in this week’s Nutrition Diva Podcast. Read or listen to it here.

Calculating Calorie Needs: What You Need to Know

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Quick and Dirty Nutrition Tips from Monica ReinagelLee writes: “There are lots of calculators out there that are supposed to tell you how many calories you should be eating. But they all give me different values.  How do I know what my daily calorie intake should really be?” In this week’s show, I explain how these calculators work and what you need to know about estimating calorie needs (or caloric content of foods.) Read or listen to it here.

Caffeine and Sugar: An Unexpected Link

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Did you know that caffeine reduces our perception of sweetness?  Researchers found that if they took the caffeine out of a sweetened beverage, they could then remove about 10% of the sugar without altering the taste.  I had no idea!  The researchers  go on to suggest that removing caffeine from sweetened beverages could allow manufacturers to lower the amount of sugar in those products, thereby reducing the amount consumed by the general population and aiding in the fight against obesity.

That doesn’t seem terribly likely. First of all,  people who consume caffeinated beverages are usually looking for that caffeine bump.  (See also: Benefits of Caffeine) Secondly, we already have caffeine-free versions of many sweetened beverages.  And interestingly, caffeine-free Coca-Cola and Sprite both contain the same amount of sugar as regular Coca-cola.

Nonetheless, it’s an interesting finding.   Have you ever noticed this effect? For example, does caffeine-free Coke taste sweeter than regular? (I find both types to be unpleasantly sweet so I’m not a good judge.)  If you drink sugar in your coffee, does it take less sugar to sweeten decaf to your liking?

Balancing a High Sodium Diet

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN
Foods high in potassium can help to balance sodium intake.

Q.  I’m a college student and I try to eat healthy. But with the amount of processed foods in the school cafeteria, it’s almost impossible to avoid eating a lot of sodium.  I’m healthy and active with a normal blood pressure and I’ve always considered sodium the least worrisome of the food evils (though high blood pressure does run in my family). I assume that as long as I increase my water intake along with sodium, everything will “balance out” in the body.  Is there any truth to this? If so, how much water is necessary to offset 2400 mg sodium over the recommended daily value?

A. First, I congratulate you for making nutrition a priority!  Secondly, I sympathize with your challenge of limiting sodium when faced with typical cafeteria food. Thirdly, I agree that because you are healthy, active, and have normal blood pressure, you may not need to worry too much about some extra sodium in your diet. Continue reading “Balancing a High Sodium Diet” >

Industry Sponsored Research at its Most Useless

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

What a waste of everyone’s time.

A company that manufactures a soy-based meal replacement drink funds a study comparing a soy-based meal replacement (i.e., their product) with a “standard breakfast” which had the same number of calories but was lower in protein, higher in refined carbohydrates. They found–gasp!–that the high protein breakfast controlled hunger better and regulated fat-burning metabolism.  Conclusion: Meal replacement regimes high in soy protein are beneficial for weight loss and metabolic syndrome.

What about this study design suggests that soy had anything to do with this?  The results were completely predictable based solely on the glycemic load and protein content.  Here, in fact, is a different study showing that you get more or less the same results using casein (milk protein).

I’ve argued in the past that industry-funded research can play a valuable part in the expensive world of nutrition research.  This study, however, was a waste of time, money, and resources. It generates no useful, new information and serves only to promote a product. Shame on the researchers who dignified the study with their time and to the journal that published it.