Whey Protein Better than Red Meat in Reducing Body Weight, Insulin Sensitivity

Whey Protein Better than Red Meat in Reducing Body Weight, Insulin Sensitivity

ADELAIDE, AustraliaA high-whey protein diet may reduce body weight and insulin sensitivity to a greater degree than a diet high in red meat, according to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition (134, 6:1454-8, 2004) (www.nutrition.org).

Researchers from the University of Adelaide, Australia, fed rats a high-fat diet (300 g fat/kg diet) for nine weeks and then switched them to a diet containing either 80 g or 320 g protein/kg diet, provided as either whey protein concentrate (WPC) or red meat (RM), for six weeks. Both high-protein diets reduced energy intake and visceral, subcutaneous and carcass fat; however, the researchers noted increasing the dietary density of WPC, but not RM, further reduced body weight gain by 4 percent. WPC also reduced plasma insulin concentration by 40 percent and increased insulin sensitivity compared to RM protein. The researchers concluded a high-protein diet reduces energy intake and adiposity, and that whey protein is more effective than RM in reducing body weight gain and increasing insulin sensitivity.