High Protein Diet May Not be Very Effective in Reducing Body Weight and Risk of Heart Disease

A high protein diet may not have any significant benefits in reducing obesity, heart diseases or blood sugar levels, suggests study. This opposes the results of various previous short-term studies.
 The recent study published in the BioMed Central Nutrition Journal, aimed at identifying the long-term benefits of low protein diet and high protein diet in reducing body weight and risk of heart disease. 
Researchers systematically reviewed 15 long term randomized control studies that compared low and high protein diets, low in fat, and estimated the dietary effects on weight, waist circumference, fat mass, total body cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerols, blood pressure, C-reactive protein (CRP), fasting glucose, fasting insulin and glycosylated hemoglobin. 
Primary analysis of the findings revealed that a decrease in fasting insulin and an increase in good cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) were significant with high protein diets. However, with further analysis, the increase in HDL levels was attributed to the high fat content in the diet rather than the protein content. 
The analysts note that the findings of the studies do not reveal any significant benefits of high protein diet on the biomarkers for obesity, heart disease and blood sugar level. 
Hence, the authors opine that further research is required before high protein diets are recommended as a control measure for obesity and heart disease. 
Reference: 
Long-term effects of low-fat diets either low or high in protein on cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis; Lukas et al; BMC Nutrition Journal 2013