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Eggs, meat and cheese trigger a protein that makes us eat less.
Eating a high-protein diet can boost the release of a hunger-suppressing hormone, according to new study on mice. The research suggests that a diet rich in protein may be a good way to lose weight and keep it off.
Read the story here.
Posted by Nicola Jones on September 05, 2006
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I've been on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet for a long time. It does reduce appetite, and it does stimulate ketosis, and both of these facts are the reasons why it helps reduce body fat. Dr. Batterham is wrong on some points, however. Ketosis doesn't make everyone "feel terrible"; some people, including myself, feel fine in ketosis, and feel much better when our intake of simple carbohydrates is low. She is also perpetuating a complete lie: the Atkins diet does not "ditch carbohydrates" completely; the diet encourages consumption of vegetables and low GI fruit. There has been research done before on high-protein low-carb diets, and there is no evidence to back the scare-mongering that they cause damage to organs. My organs are fine; I have a complete physical every year to make sure. In fact, with my restriction on grain-based food and my high consumption of all that scary saturated fat, my cholesterol has gone down 30 points. (HDL up, LDL and triglycerides down, in spite of the "proven fact" that saturated fat will increase cholesterol). Dr. Batterham's conclusions don't surprise me; they reinforce what I already have proven to myself. She could check into some of the research on high-protein diets that has already been done.
Posted by: Elizabeth Stewart | September 7, 2006 01:52 PM
I agree with Ms. Stewart. I went on the Atkin's diet, and found it wonderful, not only for weight, but vision improvement, mood elevation, and post-meal well-being as well. These are, of course, personal anecdotal results. Like Ms. Stewart, I have yearly blood work ups, and my cholesterol (and all markers, CRP, Homocysteine, HDL, etc.) have *all* gone down.
While I am happy that some researchers are finally figuring out that eating 3000 calories of soy plants and processed carbs a day is not necessarily the best diet, and are finally (albeit timidly) exploring the paleolithic diets, I am chagrined as always to see researchers like Batterham straying far afield from their restricted silo of specialization into editorializing on fad diets.
Posted by: Ross Mohan | September 11, 2006 04:56 PM
Neglected to mention a final key point: Anyone who 'goes paleolithic' and does so without regard to food quality is as or more doomed than the person on the Standard American Diet (SAD).
Raising animals pasture-fed versus grain-fed is in lockstep with the w-6/w-3 fat issue. And buying plant foods from healthy soils (organic, biodynamic, whatever) is absolutely critical in getting the right minerals in one's diet.
Researchers often miss these critical factors in their studies (because they are not nutrional experts) and so the underlying studies suffer from incomplete controls and predictive power.
Posted by: Ross Mohan | September 11, 2006 05:01 PM
While Batterham's results are compelling and support the hypothesis that certain people thrive better on specific diets, it's important to keep in mind that these studies were conducted in mice and it is not yet known whether the same effects will be observed in humans. Clearly, mice and humans have evolved very distinct dietary patterns over time, and what may be true in one group, may not be true in the other.
That said, one cannot ignore the fact that some individuals, including Stewart and Mohan, are very positive about a high-protein diet. Anecdotal reports of weight loss, attenuated dyslipidemia, and resolution of some comorbidities of obesity abound online. But before we race to adopt a largely meat-based diet, it's worth keeping in mind that livestock farming exerts a huge impact on the environment. Protein supplementation should therefore derive from plant-based sources as much as possible to lessen the long-term environmental consequences of a such a diet.
Posted by: johanna wolford | September 11, 2006 05:44 PM
In my research I have come upon a mechanism by which milk and milk products induce weight loss. Consequently I am very intersted in the fact that in this publication mentions milk and milk products were but never discussed. I hope to publish a paper on my work and I will send it to you as soon as I have acceptance to it in some very reputable journal.
Posted by: William J. Wechter, PhD | September 11, 2006 08:37 PM
I wonder about the cavemen diet since people at that time were old at 40. Some people see to feel fine on high protein/low carb diets, but I tried it and felt horrible. That gives some credence to the notion I saw on Dr. Mercola's web site that people come in carb types, protein types, and mixed types, and that one diet does not suit all.
Posted by: Danni | September 11, 2006 10:57 PM
The results presented by Dr Batterham are a very useful contribution to a difficult problem of weight control. Anecdotal stories from individuals are interesting and can be leads for following up, but well designed experiments with many individuals (humans or animals) are absolutely essentials for credible conclusions. “One swallow maketh no summer.” (Bacon Folio 85 being dated Dec. 5, 1594).
Posted by: Zeno Apostolides DSc, Biochemist | September 12, 2006 10:39 AM
Yes but it's important to choose high fiber - low glycemic carbs.
For free weight loss help and diet information please visit http://www.nulife-weightloss.com
Posted by: Weight Loss Help | December 6, 2006 04:47 PM
There are obviously many different styles of 'protein diets'. I read an article in a local paper 20 years ago which also provided a four day high protein diet. It was written by an American doctor claiming that you could lose 8-10 pounds in only four days!! scary!
She explained that the diet was used by body builders in the last days leading up to competition where extra scores were earned for having very defined veins amongst a contoured body.
This is due to the four day regime consisting of half a grapefruit each day, high protein foods and no cabs or fat! causing the body to firstly lose a large amount of body fluid and eating quickly into body fat at a speedy rate.
What was most alarming is it actually does work!....But she does indicate clearly that it is advisable to only use the diet occasionally as it can cause ketosis and urinary infections if continued for longer than the four days.
It's basically a quick fix....I have found success in weight loss or maintaining a healthy weight by eating protein and veg/salad or cabs without protein, a bit like the hay diet...
note that large amounts of water intake is always essential in any diet especially high protein diets!
Posted by: Dawn O'Donnell | April 23, 2007 10:41 AM
can any one try this diet
type even if you have low
blood presure?.
Posted by: weldra jantjies | July 31, 2007 11:25 AM
I have lost 20 kgs on a vegetarian diet(I did eat eggs and consumed heaps and heaps of low fat & skim milk). I ate as much as I liked but just avoided processed and fatty food (I was occasionally eating hot chips)
I ate bowls and bowls of pasta and still lost weight.
Bowls and bowls of cereal and still lost weight
Ate 1/2 a loaf of bread, sometimes 12 wheatbixes with heaps of sugar
I have always had a huge appetite and this fit me perfectly.
I guess if you are going to do any diet, the trick seems to be sticking to the one kind.
Either high protein
only carbs
only only only
My sister did a only chocolate diet for 3 weeks. She lost 19 kilos.
I'm not sure why these diets have worked but I'm guessing it has to do with the body recognising what's coming next and knows how to burn them (maybe that's why combination diets took off so well back in the 80's)
We have kept the weight off too - this was when I was in my late 20's and she was in her mid 30's.
Posted by: Mia Dimicco | March 21, 2009 04:45 AM