Protein: why it makes you slim

A high-protein diet is not only popular with professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Many also rely on high-protein when losing weight. Protein helps to reduce body weight and maintain this weight loss in the long term. Find out what's behind it in our blog post.

Protein fills you up for longer

A high protein intake has a positive effect on the hormones that control hunger and satiety. Protein, for example, increases the release of leptin and therefore makes you feel full for longer. The so-called satiety hormone reduces the feeling of hunger. The antagonist of leptin is ghrelin. The "hunger hormone" stimulates the appetite and signals to the body that it should start eating as soon as possible. Studies show that an increased protein intake also has an effect on the ghrelin concentration in the blood and reduces it.

Protein burns more calories than other nutrients

Our daily calorie consumption is determined by the basal metabolic rate (= energy consumption at rest), physical activity and food-induced thermogenesis. Even if the latter sounds complicated, it is explained simply: part of the energy supplied by nutrients is required for their digestion and metabolisation in the body. However, this proportion varies: it is 4-10% for carbohydrates, 2-4% for fat and 14-20% for protein. Therefore, not all calories are the same. For example, if you consume 1,000 calories from protein, your body only has around 800 calories available as energy. If the calories come from fat, on the other hand, it is approx. 960 calories.

Muscle mass consumes more calories than fat mass. So if you want to burn more energy while sitting comfortably on the couch, all you need is more muscle. This requires regular strength training and an adequate supply of protein. Proteins provide the body with the building blocks (= amino acids) that it needs to build its own muscle mass. Studies also show that a high protein intake promotes muscle growth after training. Incidentally, our protein powders have a high biological value and provide you with all essential amino acids.

Even a small increase (by 20%) in protein intake helps to prevent the yo-yo effect. If you cover 18% of your energy requirements with protein, this provides better protection against regaining weight than consuming just 15% protein. This has been proven by studies that have observed the development of both body weight and body composition after a successful diet. Participants who increased their protein intake showed a better body composition, lower weight and greater satiety.

More protein in everyday life

A protein-rich diet is a protein intake of 20-25% of the energy requirement. This corresponds to around 1-1.5 g per kilogramme of body weight.

Make sure that your meals always include a protein component. You should focus on plant-based proteins here. Animal protein sources such as meat and dairy products, on the other hand, usually contain a high amount of unhealthy fats. Animal proteins also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Good sources of plant-based protein are pulses (e.g. chickpeas, lentils), tofu, seitan or soya yoghurt. Protein shakes also provide an extra protein kick with few calories. Our protein powders can also be stirred into your muesli or used for cooking and baking. You can find delicious protein-rich recipes here.

Sources

• H.K. Biesalski, P. Grimm. Pocket atlas of nutrition. 4th edition 2007
• H.J. Leidy et al. The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men. Obesity 2011;19(4):818-24.
• V. Izadi et al. Dietary intakes and leptin concentrations. ARYA Atheroscler 2014; 10:266-72.
• H.J. Leidy et al. Effects of acute and chronic protein intake on metabolism, appetite, and ghrelin during weight loss. Obesity 2007; 15:1215-25.
• M.S. Westerterp-Plantenga. High protein intake sustains weight maintenance after body weight loss in humans. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; 28(1):57-64.
• M.E. Levine et al. Low protein intake is associated with a major Reduction in IGF-1, Cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older Population. Cell Metab 2014; 19(3):407-17.
• M. Song et al. Association of Animal and Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality. JAMA Intern Med 2016; 176(10):1453-63.
• M.P. Lejeune. Additional protein intake limits weight regain after weight loss in humans. Br J Nutr 2005; 93(2):281-9.