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- Title
A high-protein diet for reducing body fat: mechanisms and possible caveats.
- Authors
Pesta, Dominik H.; Samuel, Varman T.
- Abstract
High protein diets are increasing popularized in lay media as a promising strategy for weight loss by providing the twin benefits of improving satiety and decreasing fat mass. Some of the potential mechanisms that account for weight loss associated with high protein diets involve increased secretion of satiety hormones (GIP, GLP-1), reduced orexigenic hormone secretion (ghrelin), the increased thermic effect of food and protein-induced alterations in gluconeogenesis to improve glucose homeostasis. There are, however, also possible caveats that have to be considered when choosing to consume a high-protein diet. A high intake of branched-chain amino acids in combination with a western diet might exacerbate the development of metabolic disease. A diet high in protein can also pose a significant acid load to the kidney. Finally, when energy demand is low, excess protein can be converted to glucose (via gluconeogenesis) or ketone bodies and contribute to a positive energy balance, which is undesirable if weight loss is the goal. In this review, we will therefore explore the mechanisms whereby a high protein diet may diet may exert beneficial effects on whole body metabolism while we also want to present possible caveats associated with the consumption of a high-protein diet.
- Subjects
REDUCING diets; ADIPOSE tissues; AMINO acids; BODY composition; BODY temperature regulation; ENERGY metabolism; HIGH-protein diet; NUTRITIONAL requirements; PEPTIDE hormones; RESEARCH funding; SATISFACTION; WEIGHT loss; GHRELIN; LEAN body mass
- Publication
Nutrition & Metabolism, 2014, Vol 11, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1743-7075
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/1743-7075-11-53