WOMEN, WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN
April 29, 2009
Many factors affect your metabolism including the nutrient content of meals and snacks which can affect the amount of energy your body requires to break down food. In the case of appetite, this is generally regulated by satiety which is the physiological and psychological experience of “fullness” that comes after eating and/or drinking. Protein is a nutrient that can assist to speed up metabolism and regulate appetite.
Evidence is accumulating to suggest that diets with increased levels of high quality protein and reduced carbohydrates can assist with healthy weight maintenance2. This benefit is thought to be related to the energy-cost of nutrient digestion. That is, the body has to expend more energy to break down protein compared with carbohydrate which assists to Bincrease metabolic rate.
Absorption in the intestines is the initial step in the metabolic journey of dietary nutrients which provide immediate fuel for the body or are stored for future energy requirements. The body has to sacrifice energy to absorb, store and utilise these nutrients and in comparative terms research has shown the energetic costs to be 0-3% for fat, 5-10% for carbohydrate and 20-30% for protein3. In simple terms this means it takes around 2 to 3 times more energy to metabolically process protein compared with carbohydrate.
Scientists have also suggested that proteins have a higher satiety value compared with carbohydrate which can assist with appetite regulation and help moderate overall food intake4. A study investigating subjects consuming diets with higher protein (1.6g per kg body weight) and less carbohydrate showed greater weight and fat mass reduction along with less lean mass (muscle tissue) loss compared with those consuming diets with more carbohydrates and less protein (0.8g per kg bodyweight)5. Whey Protein which is included in MUSASHI SLM Proteins seems to play a unique role in this satiety6.
There appear to be some valid scientific reasons to suggest that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet including MUSASHI SLM proteins can help stimulate natural metabolism and assist with appetite regulation and can play an important role within a healthy weight maintenance program.
Dietary fibre also plays an important role in the feeling of fullness after a meal or snack. However many processed foods that are high in dietary fibre are also high in carbohydrate. Dietary fibre is very low in calories and in soluble form absorbs water in the stomach to slow overall digestive rate. MUSASHI SLM powders are not only high protein and low carbohydrate* but now contain 7g of soluble dietary fibre per serve.
MUSASHI SLM products are not to be used as a sole source of nutrition and should be consumed in conjunction with a nutritious diet. *Excludes SLM Meal Replacement Formula.
References
1. Layman, D.K. (2004), Protein quantity and quality at levels above the RDA improves adult weight loss. J Am
Coll Nutr., vol. 23 (Suppl 6), pp. 631S-636S (Review).
2. Fine EJ, Feinman RD. (2004), Thermodynamics of weight loss diets. Nutr Metab (Lond), vol.1, no. 1, pp15.
3. Westerterp KR. (2004), Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutr Metab (Lond), vol. 1, pp1-5.
4. Anderson GH, Moore SE (2004), Dietary proteins in the regulation of food intake and body weight in humans. J
Nutr., vol. 134, pp974S–979S.
5. Layman DK, Evans E, Baum JI, Seyler J, Erickson DJ, Boileau RA. (2005), Dietary protein and exercise have
additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr., vol. 135, no. 8, pp1903-10.
6. Luhovyy BL, Akhavan T, Anderson GH. Whey proteins in the regulation of food intake and satiety. J Am Coll
Nutr. 2007 Dec;26(6):704S-12S.
