Q. Can whey protein help with weight loss?
A. Whey protein is likely to have particular benefits for people looking to lose weight. Out of the three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat), protein is known to suppress appetite the most. And while this is true for pretty much any protein source, whey protein may assist weight loss for several additional reasons.
The authors of the scholarly article below note that calcium, branched-chain amino acids (which whey contains in abundance), and unique whey peptides are all likely to make whey protein a powerful tool for weight management:
Study link - Role of whey protein and whey components in weight management and energy metabolism.
Quote from the above study:
…the anti-obesity effect [of whey] appears to result from calcium, high proportion of branched chain amino acids, and specific bioactive whey-derived peptides.
Whey protein has also been shown to reduce appetite particularly well – and the whey microfraction called glycomacropeptide (GMP) may be an important factor in this effect. Studies have found that consuming whey proteins which contained GMP at breakfast led to reduced caloric intake at subsequent meals, relative to consuming whey proteins without GMP:
Quote from the above study:
[Energy intake] at lunch was lower after whey than after whey without GMP…GMP as a whey–fraction reduced energy intake coinciding with increased concentrations of certain amino acids, irrespective of the concentration of whey–protein. Although between different concentrations of whey–protein differences in hormone responses were observed, these were unrelated to satiety ratings or energy intake.
A recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that the long-term consumption of whey protein was associated with lower body weight and lower body fat mass in overweight and obese adults.
The study subjects consumed 56 grams of either whey or soy protein daily, or an equal amount of calories as carbohydrates. The participants otherwise consumed their normal diets. After 23 weeks of supplementation, the fat mass of those consuming whey protein was 2.3 kilograms (just over 5 pounds) less than those consuming an equal amount of calories as carbohydrates.
Quote from the above study:
In this study in which energy restriction was not part of the intervention, changes in body weight and composition were small but nevertheless suggest that habitual consumption of supplemental protein may result in improved body composition and incremental, but ultimately significant, weight loss. These data suggest that supplemental dietary protein may reduce the risk of unhealthy weight gain observed in many populations (i.e. 500–1000 g/y).
An interesting aspect of the above study was that the subjects consuming whey protein lost weight and fat mass without consciously restricting calories.
Similar studies have found that whey protein may allow dieters to not only lose weight, but to maintain significant muscle mass while dieting – an important aspect of long-term dieting success:
In all, quality whey protein is likely to be an important part of any weight-management program.
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