Rev up your metabolism with lean protein

By Sally Squires
Special to The LA Times

February 20, 2006

The weight loss world is full of claims, rarely proven, that some pill or potion can help "burn calories while you sleep." But a recent study reports that this may, in fact, be possible — simply by eating more lean protein.

Dutch researchers have reported for the first time that consuming nearly a third of one's daily calories as lean protein — for example, lean meats or poultry without the skin — revs up a person's metabolism during sleep. And the benefits aren't just nocturnal. The researchers also found that higher protein intake boosted the burning of calories and fat during the day.

Plus, when the study's participants, who were all women of healthy weight, ate more protein, they said they felt fuller, more satisfied and less hungry than when they consumed a diet with the typical amount of protein, about 10% of calories.

The findings suggest that adding lean protein to your daily fare "enables you to reach the same level of satiety that you are used to with about 80% of your normal energy intake," notes the study's lead author, Margriet Westerterp-Plantenga, an associate professor of human biology at the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands. "That means you can eat about 20% less and still have the same satiety…. It's a very easy way to ingest" fewer calories without feeling hungry all the time.

This is not the first study to reveal protein's satiating effects. The same research team found similar results in 1999, but during waking hours. A number of other researchers also report evidence of protein's satiating and calorie-burning properties.

What gives protein its caloric edge? It's more difficult for the body to metabolize protein than fat or carbohydrates.

The body also doesn't store protein as efficiently as it does carbohydrates or fat. So protein is more likely to be burned, a process called thermogenesis. That in turn requires more oxygen and helps you feel satisfied in the hours after eating, Westerterp-Plantenga says.

But the latest findings don't mean it's time to dust off those high-protein, low-carb diet books. The protein-heavy Atkins diet included high fat and in some phases eliminated most fruit and vegetables.

The current study limited fat to about 30% of daily calories, and included 40% of calories as healthy carbohydrates, including fruit and vegetables.

Bonnie and Steve - Just as The Obesity Society discovered late last year, research starting to pile up regarding the importance of at least 30% lean protein in your daily diet. Did the ratios of this study seem familiar? Yes, because, once again, it mirrors our Circle of Health Food Chart exactly!