High-protein diets increase protein intake while restricting carbs or fat, or both. They have been used by bodybuilders and athletes for years to strip body fat and increase lean mass. High-protein diets have become more popular among non-athletes and evidence indicates that they might boost your metabolism by increasing thermogenesis.
Thermogenesis
One of the main mechanisms by which high-protein diets raise your metabolism is by increasing thermogenesis, or the process of turning energy into heat in your body. Thermogenesis increases calorie-burning and body temperature. Scientists at Arizona State University East discovered that subjects following a high-protein, low-fat diet experienced greater increases in thermogenesis after test meals compared with those adhering to a high-carb, low fat diet. The findings were reported in the February 2002 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition."
High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet
High-protein, low-carb diets are effective for boosting your metabolism and dropping body fat, according to a study published by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. They compared the effects of different diets on weight loss in obese subjects. Scientists reported in the July 2008 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine" that subjects following a high-protein, low carb diet lost more body fat over a two-year period compared with those following the Mediterranean and low-fat diets.
Fat Loss
Similar findings were also demonstrated in another study published in the May 1999 issue of the "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders." Scientists at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Denmark discovered that overweight and obese participants adhering to a high-protein diet experienced greater fat loss than those following a high-carb diet.
Kidney Health
Although high-protein diets seem to be effective at boosting your metabolism and decreasing body fat, they have been touted as harmful to kidney function. However, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that scientific studies suggest that high-protein diets have no adverse effects on kidney health if you have normal kidney function. The findings were published in the October 2004 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition."
References
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Postprandial Thermogenesis Is Increased 100% on a High-Protein, Low-Fat Diet versus a High-Carbohydrate, Low-Fat Diet in Healthy, Young Women; C.S. Johnston et al.; February 2002
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet; I. Shai et al.; July 2008
- "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders"; Randomized Trial on Protein vs Carbohydrate in Ad Libitum Fat Reduced Diet for the Treatment of Obesity; A.R. Skov et al.; May 1999
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; "The Effects of High Protein Diets on Thermogenesis, Satiety and Weight Loss: A Critical Review"; T. L. Halton et al; October 2004
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