Why high protein and low fat diets work
The popular weight loss diets all seem to focus on the distribution of the proportion of fats, carbohydrates and protein. There has been much debate over the effectiveness of each popular diet on the market, all promising weight loss and with varying degrees of success. A new study soon to be published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism may shed some light on how these various diets work.
The study focuses on how the proportion of nutrients affect a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin is secreted by the stomach and is the only known appetite-stimulating hormone. The researchers found that when fat was consumed, ghrelin remained high-which in turn could stimulate hunger. Protein consumption resulted in the greatest suppression of ghrelin over a sustained period of time, thus reducing appetite.
Carbohydrates, on the other hand, resulted in a strong suppression of ghrelin initially but rebounded well above baseline. The author concluded that improving our understanding of the regulation of ghrelin by the various macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate and protein) could result in a more rational design of weight-reduction diets.
About the Author
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
